Beta Available for the Data Encryption Toolkit and EFS Assistant

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The Solution Accelerators for Security and Compliance (SA-SC) team is currently developing the Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs (DET). The Toolkit is a collection of guidance and tools designed to help you address specific data security risks that are related to laptop computers. By implementing the guidance and tools provided in the Toolkit, you can help your organization more effectively protect the data on laptop computers from the threat of loss or theft.

The Toolkit uses two encryption technologies that are a part of the Windows operating system: Encrypting File System (EFS), which is included in Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, and many versions of Windows Vista, and BitLocker Drive Encryption, a new capability built into the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista.

This Beta release of the Toolkit contains 2 major components:

  • The Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs Planning and Implementation Guide. This document provides prescriptive, tested guidance for deploying various Microsoft data encryption technologies on your mobile PCs. The guidance is focused on how to deploy EFS and BitLocker in a way that is supportable in a large environment.
  • The Microsoft Encrypting File System Assistant. The EFS Assistant is a tool you can deploy on your organization's mobile PCs that enforces your EFS encryption policies. The EFS Assistant addresses many of the manageability issues inherent in EFS, and is entirely controlled and configured using Group Policy. This component includes Administrative Templates for configuring the tool as well as an Administrator's Guide that describes how to deploy, configure, and run the tool.

If you are interested in participating in this beta program, please visit https://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=790&InvitationID=DETB-YRTP-3PGR&SiteID=14.

Bill Canning
Sr. Program Manager
Solution Accelerators - Security and Compliance