18.9.11.1.4 Ensure 'Choose how BitLocker-protected fixed drives can be recovered: Omit recovery options from the BitLocker setup wizard' is set to 'Enabled: True'

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Information

This policy setting allows you to control how BitLocker-protected fixed data drives are recovered in the absence of the required credentials. This policy setting is applied when you turn on BitLocker.

Select 'Omit recovery options from the BitLocker setup wizard' to prevent users from specifying recovery options when they enable BitLocker on a drive. This means that you will not be able to specify which recovery option to use when you enable BitLocker, instead BitLocker recovery options for the drive are determined by the policy setting.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: True (checked).

Rationale:

Administrators should always have a safe, secure way to access encrypted data in the event users cannot access their data.

Additionally, as with any authentication method, a drive can be compromised by guessing or finding the authentication information used to access the drive.

To use BitLocker, a Data Recovery Agent will need to be configured for fixed drives. To recover a drive will require highly-controlled access to the Data Recovery Agent private key.

Impact:

The ability to manually select recovery options for fixed drives will not be presented to the user in the BitLocker setup wizard.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration, set the following Device Configuration Policy to Enabled: Omit recovery options from the BitLocker setup wizard (checked):

To access the Device Configuration Policy from the Intune Home page:

Click Devices

Click Configuration profiles

Click Create profile

Select the platform (Windows 10 and later)

Select the profile (Administrative Templates)

Click Create

Enter a Name

Click Next

Configure the following Setting

Path: Computer Configuration/Windows Components/BitLocker Drive Encryption/Fixed Data Drives
Setting Name: Choose how BitLocker-protected fixed drives can be recovered
Configuration: Omit recovery options from the BitLocker setup wizard (checked)

Select OK

Continue through the Wizard to complete the creation of the profile (profile assignments, applicability etc.)

Note: More than one configuration setting from each of the Configuration profiles (ex: Administrative Templates, Custom etc.) can be added to each Device Configuration Policy.

Note #2: This recommendation can also be set using the Endpoint protection profile using Windows Encryption settings.

Default Value:

Recovery options for fixed drives are selectable by the user in the BitLocker setup wizard.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/3358