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How to Decrypt External Media Managed by Dell Data Security

Summary: Dell Data Security and Dell Data Protection software used to manage external media devices can be decrypted by following these instructions.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

It is important to decrypt protected external media devices managed by Dell Data Security (formerly Dell Data Protection) before uninstalling the software.

Affected Products:

  • Dell Encryption Enterprise
  • Dell Encryption Enterprise for Mac
  • Dell Encryption Personal
  • Dell Encryption External Media
  • Dell Data Protection | Enterprise Edition
  • Dell Data Protection | Enterprise Edition for Mac
  • Dell Data Protection | Personal Edition
  • Dell Data Protection | External Media Edition

Affected Versions:

  • v8.0 and Later

Affected Operating Systems:

  • Windows
  • Mac

Cause

Not applicable

Resolution

Click Centrally Managed or Locally Managed for the appropriate steps.

Centrally Managed

Select the appropriate Dell Data Security (formerly Dell Data Protection) server version for steps on decrypting protected external media devices. For more information, reference How to Identify the Dell Encryption Enterprise or Dell Encryption Personal Version.

To decrypt the device:

  1. From a web browser, go to the Dell Data Security administration console at https://servername.company.com:8443/webui.
Note:
  • The example, servername.company.com, may differ from the server DNS in your environment.
  • The port, 8443, may differ from the administration console port in your environment.
  1. Sign in to the Dell Data Security administration console.

Sign in

  1. If decrypting a protected external media device from a:
    • Windows endpoint, go to Step 4.
    • Mac endpoint, go to Step 8.
  2. From the left menu pane, expand the Populations tab and then click Users.

Users

  1. Click the User Name of the user who must decrypt a device.
  2. Click Windows Media Encryption.

Windows Media Encryption

  1. Switch Windows Media Encryption to Off and then click Save. Go to Step 13.

Windows Media Encryption Off

Note: If the protected external media device has been allowlisted, it must also be removed from the EMS Device Whitelist policy.
  1. From the left menu pane, expand the Populations tab and then click Endpoints.

Endpoints

  1. Click the endpoint to decrypt.
  2. Click Security Policies.

Security Policies

  1. Click Mac Media Encryption.

Mac Media Encryption

  1. Switch Mac Media Encryption to Off and then click Save.

Mac Media Encryption Off

Note: If the protected external media device has been allowlisted, it must also be removed from the EMS Device Whitelist policy.
  1. Commit the policy change.
Note: For more information about committing policies, reference How to Commit Policies for Dell Data Security Servers.
  1. From the endpoint, check for policy updates.
Note: For more information about checking for policy updates, reference How to Check for Policy Updates for Dell Data Security / Dell Data Protection.
  1. After the policy update is received, insert the protected external media device and allow the decryption sweep to complete.
Note: WSScan may be used to confirm that decryption is complete. For more information, reference How to Use WSScan for Dell Data Security.

To decrypt the device:

  1. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\Program Files\Dell\Enterprise Edition\Console\ and then double-click Credant.Console.exe.

Credant.Console.exe

  1. Submit credentials to sign in to the administration console.

Submit credentials

  1. If decrypting a protected external media device from a:
    • Windows endpoint, go to Step 4.
    • Mac Endpoint, go to Step 8.
  2. From the left menu pane, click Users.

Users

  1. Locate the user who must decrypt a device, and then click the Policies icon.

Policies

  1. Click Removable Storage.

Removable Storage

  1. Switch EMS Encrypt External Media to false and then click Save. Go to Step 12.

EMS Encrypt External Media false

Note: If the protected external media device has been allowlisted, it must also be removed from the EMS Device Whitelist policy.
  1. From the left menu pane, click Endpoints.

Endpoints

  1. Locate the endpoint to decrypt and then click the Details icon.

Details

  1. Click Security Policies.

Security Policies

  1. From the security policies:
    1. Set the Policy Category to Mac Encryption.
    2. Click to expand Removable Storage.
    3. Use the Local Value column to set the EMS Encrypt External Media policy to false.
    4. Click Save.

EMS Encrypt External Media false

Note: If the protected external media device has been allowlisted, it must also be removed from the EMS Device Whitelist policy.
  1. Commit the policy change.
Note: For more information about committing policies, reference How to Commit Policies for Dell Data Security Servers.
  1. From the endpoint, check for policy updates.
Note: For more information about checking for policy updates, reference How to Check for Policy Updates for Dell Data Security / Dell Data Protection.
  1. After the policy update is received, insert the protected external media device and allow the decryption sweep to complete.
Note: WSScan may be used to confirm that decryption is complete. For more information, reference How to Use WSScan for Dell Data Security.

Locally Managed

Select the appropriate Dell Encryption Personal (formerly Dell Data Protection Personal Edition) version for steps on decrypting protected external media devices. For more information, reference How to Identify the Dell Encryption Enterprise or Dell Encryption Personal Version.

To decrypt the device:

  1. Log in to the Windows computer.
  2. In the Windows System Tray, right-click the Dell Encryption icon and then select Open Dell Encryption.

Open Dell Encryption

  1. Click Advanced in the bottom right.

Advanced

  1. Click Customize Settings.

Customize Settings

  1. Populate the Encryption Administrator Password and then click OK.

Encryption Administrator Password

  1. From the Customize user interface (UI):
    1. Click to expand Removable Storage.
    2. Use the Customization column to set the EMS Encrypt External Media policy to False.
    3. Click Save.
    4. Click Back to configure.

EMS Encrypt External Media false

Note: If the protected external media device has been allowlisted, it must also be removed from the EMS Device Whitelist policy.
  1. In the bottom-right, click Home.

Home

  1. Perform a backup of the encryption keys.

Encryption keys

Note: For more information, reference How to Manually Back Up Encryption Keys in Dell Encryption Personal / Dell Data Protection Personal Edition.
  1. Insert the protected external media device and allow the decryption sweep to complete.
Note: WSScan may be used to confirm that decryption is complete. For more information, reference How to Use WSScan for Dell Data Security.

To decrypt the device:

  1. Log in to the Windows computer.
  2. In the Windows System Tray, right-click the Dell Data Protection | Encryption icon and then select Open Dell Data Protection | Encryption.

Open Dell Data Protection Encryption

  1. Click advanced in the bottom right.

Advanced

  1. Click Customize Settings.

Customize Settings

  1. Populate the Encryption Administrator Password and then click OK.

Encryption Administrator Password

  1. From the Customize user interface (UI):
    1. Click to expand Removable Storage.
    2. Use the Customization column to set the EMS Encrypt External Media policy to False.
    3. Click save.
    4. Click back to configure.

EMS Encrypt External Media false

Note: If the protected external media device has been allowlisted, it must also be removed from the EMS Device Whitelist policy.
  1. In the bottom-right, click home.

Home

  1. Perform a backup of the encryption keys.

Encryption keys

Note: For more information, reference How to Manually Back Up Encryption Keys in Dell Encryption Personal / Dell Data Protection Personal Edition.
  1. Insert the protected external media device and allow the decryption sweep to complete.
Note: WSScan may be used to confirm that decryption is complete. For more information, reference How to Use WSScan for Dell Data Security.

To contact support, reference Dell Data Security International Support Phone Numbers.
Go to TechDirect to generate a technical support request online.
For additional insights and resources, join the Dell Security Community Forum.

Affected Products

Dell Encryption
Article Properties
Article Number: 000126841
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 28 Aug 2023
Version:  18
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