14 DAY TRIAL // An upcoming tool from Microsoft is designed to streamline the adoption and administration of the encryption technology built into Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise by default.
Dubbed the Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM), the new solution will be available for Beta testing in March 2011, promised Gavriella Schuster, General Manager for the Windows Commercial business.
Early adopters can already head to Microsoft Connect and sign up to participate in the upcoming Beta program for Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring, and they only need a valid Windows Live ID to do so.
MBAM is not available for the time being, but the software giant will notify Beta participants when the bits go live next month.
“With Windows 7, we delivered built-in security features such as BitLocker, a full encryption of the operating system to help protect PCs in your organization,” Schuster stated.
“Overall, feedback has been positive; however some IT Professionals told us they wanted an easier way to manage BitLocker. We listened and we’re happy to announce that we’re in the development process to provide Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM), aimed at addressing this.
“MBAM will build on BitLocker in Windows 7 and help simplify BitLocker provisioning and deployment, reduce costs while improving compliance and reporting of BitLocker.”
In addition to extending BitLocker with provisioning, monitoring, deployment, compliance and reporting capabilities, MBAM will also help customers embracing the encryption technology reduce costs, promised Microsoft’s Stephen L Rose.
Rose published an extensive interview with Anthony (A.J.) Smith, the product manager for the new MBAM tool, which is designed to answer a range of questions related to the new tool.
One such question is related to the way in which MBAM helps IT professionals simplify the process of key recovery.
“MBAM provides a web page for help desks to easily access the BitLocker recovery keys which MBAM stores in an encrypted Microsoft SQL Server database,” Smith stated.
“When the user calls because their machine is in BitLocker recovery mode, the help desk can enter the end user’s Windows user id, their domain, the first eight digits of the key id that is shown in the BitLocker recovery key entry page and choose a reason why the drive needs to be unlocked in the web page and quickly get the recovery key.”
Microsoft will provide MBAM as a part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) once the tool is completed, Smith added.