BitLocker is a popular full-disk encryption scheme employed in all versions of Windows (but not in every edition) since Windows Vista. BitLocker is used to protect stationary and removable volumes against outside attacks. Since Windows 8, BitLocker is activated by default on compatible devices if the administrative account logs in with Microsoft Account credentials. BitLocker protection is extremely robust, becoming a real roadblock for digital forensics.

“Had San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook used an Android phone, investigators would have had a better chance at accessing the data”, says Jack Nicas in his article in The Wall Street Journal. Indeed, the stats suggest that only 10 per cent of the world’s 1.4 billion Android phones are encrypted, compared with 95 per cent of Apple’s iPhones. Of those encrypted, a major number are using Nexus smartphones that have encryption enforced by default.