What to Do When You Are Bit-Locked: A Client's Journey to Recovery.

It all started with an early morning phone call on Saturday 6th of July 2024. I had not even stepped out of bed when my client, a small business owner, called me with a panic voice. He had powered up his laptop to start the day’s work but was greeted by a BitLocker recovery screen demanding a 48-digit recovery key. Unfortunately, he could not find the key anywhere.

?Let me share with you this latest experience and how we navigated this issue together and successfully regained access to his laptop. Note that I have encountered numerous scenarios like this before, but each one is usually a unique challenge. Keep reading to know how it ended. Immediately after the call, I jumped out of bed and quickly dashed to his office which was a few minutes' drive away from my house.

?Step 1: Keeping Calm and Investigating.

On arrival, the first thing I did was to reassure him that it would all be well and that panicking would not help us. We both needed clear and sober heads to solve this problem. I then asked him to recall any details about where he might have stored the recovery key. He mentioned vaguely about setting up BitLocker a few months ago but could not remember the specifics of the key storage. This to me sounded like the beginning of a long day if not a long weekend and I had to sober up from my weekend sleep if at all I was to help him regain access to his laptop.

?Step 2: Searching for the Recovery Key.

We started searching for the key in the most likely places I could guess. This was backed up by the fact that, in the past, I have found recovery keys in the most unlikely places. So, the searching journey started.

• Printed Copy: I suggested we start by looking through his physical documents. Sometimes, people print recovery keys for safekeeping. After a thorough search, we came out empty-handed. He could not even remember printing anything that looked like a key.
• USB Flash Drive: I asked him if by any chance he might have saved anything on a USB Flash Drive. He remembered using a USB drive during the initial BitLocker setup. And I thought that could be it. We checked all the USB drives he had, but unfortunately, none contained the recovery key.
• Network Drive or File Share: Being a small business, he did not use a network drive for such purposes, so we both ruled this out immediately.

?Step 3: Exploring Alternative Unlock Methods.

Having quickly searched through documents and flash drives with no success, we had to consider other alternative methods.

• Recovery Password: When I asked him about a recovery password, he could not recall setting up a recovery password during the initial setup. This avenue proved to be a dead end. What a weekend for both of us.
• PIN or Smart Card: Similarly, he said he had not configured any PIN or smart card for BitLocker access. Another dead end. Maybe a cup of Coffee to boost my energy and sugar levels will be a good idea by this point.

?Step 4: Reaching Out for Support.

With all the above options exhausted, I could see the frustration on his face. Then I thought to myself, he called me for help, will I also need to call someone else for help? At this point, I was thinking of seeking external support from 微软 . However, before reaching out to Microsoft to explain the situation I asked him if he had a Microsoft account that he might have used with his laptop at some point when he was setting up his BitLocker security settings. And he replied yes. What a relief from within. Another sip of Coffee.

?Step 5: The Breakthrough.

Thankfully, with access to his Microsoft account, I guided him through logging into his account at https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey . We browsed through the different account settings through to devices. ?To our relief, the BitLocker recovery key was listed there.

This is often the place to find it if you linked BitLocker to your Microsoft account during the initial setup. Unfortunately, if the key was not linked to the account during the initial set-up or if you skip this step, then your BitLocker Key will not be saved there.

?Step 6: Regaining Access.

With the recovery key retrieved from his 微软 account, he then entered it, and just like that, his laptop was back to normal. The relief in his voice was palpable, and he was grateful for the swift resolution. I was also happy that finally I can go back and finish my weekend sleep.

?Preventive Measures for the Future.

Before Leaving his office, to prevent such incidents in the future, I advised him on the following key best practices:

• Back-Up the Recovery Key: We created copies of the recovery key and I ensured that they were stored in multiple secure locations, including his Microsoft account, a USB drive, and a printed copy kept in a secure place.
• Regular Check-ins: I also suggested he should set reminders to periodically check the availability and location of the recovery key.
• Document Management: Finally, we created a dedicated folder on his encrypted external hard drive for all recovery-related information.

?Conclusion

Being Bit-locked on such an early Saturday morning hour can be a stressful experience, but with the right steps and support, it’s a challenge that anyone can overcome. This latest experience again taught me the importance of preparedness and knowing where to turn when things go wrong.

?I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience and that you learnt something. Stay secure, stay vigilant, and remember, your best defence lies in your knowledge and preparedness. Have an incidence response plan that is always ready to launch.