---
title: "Setup and Usage"
slug: "filesystem-encryption-for-windows-using-fortanix-dsm-setup-and-usage"
updated: 2026-07-27T16:39:52Z
published: 2026-08-19T14:03:28Z
canonical: "support.fortanix.com/filesystem-encryption-for-windows-using-fortanix-dsm-setup-and-usage"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.fortanix.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setup and Usage

Fortanix-Data-Security-Manager (DSM) provides a Filesystem Encryption (FSE) solution for Windows, built on the open-source **cppcryptfs** and the Dokany framework. Dokany allows non-privileged users to create file systems in user space without kernel modifications, enabling seamless encryption and decryption of file data through Fortanix FSE agents. These agents operate as daemons, managing input and output operations transparently using the Dokany driver, enforcing access policies, and ensuring compatibility with existing applications without requiring changes.

The encryption process involves Fortanix DSM securely managing the **Master Key** and **Key Encryption Key (KEK)**. During initialization, the Master Key is encrypted with the KEK and stored in DSM. When the filesystem is mounted, the FSE agent retrieves and decrypts the Master Key to derive a **Content Encryption Key** for file contents and an optional **File Name Encryption Key** for filenames (if the `ciphertexnames` feature is enabled). With audit logging, Quorum policies, and Rego-based access policies, DSM ensures robust, fine-grained security and control for encrypted filesystems on Windows.

*For more information on how to install and configure Filesystem Encryption on Windows machine, refer to the following articles:*

- [*Filesystem Encryption for Windows as a Service Using Fortanix Data Security Manager - Installation*](/v1/docs/filesystem-encryption-windows-service-data-security-manager-installation)
- [*Filesystem Encryption for Windows as a Service Using Fortanix Data Security Manager - Configuration*](/v1/docs/filesystem-encryption-windows-service-data-security-manager-configuration)
- [*Filesystem Encryption for Windows as a Service Using Fortanix Data Security Manager - Policies*](/v1/docs/filesystem-encryption-windows-service-fortanix-data-security-manager-policies)
- [*Filesystem Encryption for Windows as a Service Using Fortanix Data Security Manager - Client Configuration*](/v1/docs/filesystem-encryption-windows-service-data-security-manager-client-configuration)
- [*Filesystem Encryption for Windows as a Service Using Fortanix Data Security Manager - Maintenance*](/v1/docs/filesystem-encryption-windows-service-fortanix-data-security-manager-maintenance)
- [*Filesystem Encryption for Windows as a Service Using Fortanix Data Security Manager - Monitoring*](/v1/docs/filesystem-encryption-windows-service-fortanix-data-security-manager-monitoring)
- [*Filesystem Encryption for Windows as a Service Using Fortanix Data Security Manager - Troubleshooting*](/v1/docs/filesystem-encryption-windows-service-data-security-manager-troubleshooting)

Fortanix Data Security Manager (DSM) is the world’s first cloud service secured with Intel® SGX. With Fortanix DSM, you can securely generate, store, and use cryptographic keys and certificates, as well as other secrets such as passwords, API keys, tokens, or any blob of data. Your business-critical applications and containers can integrate with Fortanix DSM using legacy cryptographic interfaces (PKCS#11, CNG, and JCE) or using the native Fortanix DSM RESTful interface.