BitLocker To Go is Microsoft’s feature for encrypting removable drives, such as USB flash drives. It protects stored data by requiring an approved unlock method, commonly a password, or recovery material such as a recovery key. Encryption helps prevent someone who obtains a locked drive from reading its contents.
Protection depends on more than the encryption itself: passwords and recovery keys must be kept secure, and the drive should be locked when not in use. Malware running on a computer where the drive is already unlocked may be able to access its files without breaking the encryption. In security investigations, that distinction matters: access through a compromised endpoint or exposed recovery key is not proof that the encryption was defeated.