By Bruce Gil
Publication Date: 2026-01-23 21:25:00
Microsoft handed over encryption keys for its hard drive encryption software BitLocker to the FBI last year, complying with a search warrant tied to a fraud investigation in Guam. This marks the first known case of the tech giant providing BitLocker recovery keys to law enforcement.
Forbes reported on Friday that Microsoft turned over recovery keys for BitLocker, allowing the FBI to access data stored on three seized laptops. BitLocker comes enabled by default on many Windows PCs and is designed to encrypt a computer’s data in case it’s lost or stolen.
BitLocker encryption can be unlocked using a recovery key stored locally on a user’s device, but Microsoft also encourages users to back up their recovery keys to the cloud. That backup can make data recovery easier if a user forgets their password, but it also creates a pathway for law enforcement and potentially hackers to access a user’s data.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for…
