The growth of mobility means that people need to access corporate systems in a wider range of locations than ever, but most organisations would prefer this was done from a 'known good' copy of Windows rather than one that could be malware-ridden.
Furthermore, there is an increasing desire to travel light, for example with a smartphone or tablet instead of a notebook, and to borrow a computer on arrival if it is really needed.
The idea of a bootable USB stick isn't new, but Microsoft has added some wrinkles to Windows To Go, Microsoft Services architect Tanya Koval told the TechEd Australia conference, especially from a security perspective.
|
|
The recovery key for BitLocker is stored in the organisation's Active Directory as part of the provisioning process.
Windows To Go also uses Secure Boot to protect against firmware malware, a feature supported by all Windows 8 certified hardware.
And to minimise the risk of data leakage, the computer's internal hard drive is taken offline by Windows To Go, and can only be brought online by a user with administrative rights, which should not apply to users in managed environments.
