I'm curious about the security of using BitLocker to encrypt an HDD and then deleting the encryption keys. Does this method really prevent file recovery? Also, how exactly do I go about deleting the keys? I've heard from others that it's better to encrypt the drive with BitLocker on one computer and then format it on a different one. What's the reasoning behind that?
1 Answer
If you fully overwrite your drive, it's pretty secure. Using BitLocker and deleting the keys is similar to writing random data on your drive. Just make sure you set BitLocker to encrypt all free space, or else deleted files might still be recoverable. You could also use something like DBAN for a quicker wipe, as it just overwrites data without reading it first.
Thanks for the info! But why do people suggest formatting a BitLocker encrypted drive on a different computer? Can’t I just do it on the same computer?