Windows

File Encryption In Vista

Posted by on Jul 5, 2007 | 3 Comments

The Encrypting File System (EFS) is another technology designed to protect data. Files that have been protected using EFS are encrypted at the file-system level. The benefit is that the user with the appropriate private key and certificate is the only one who can open the file. Even if you reinstall the operating system, the files are still inaccessible.

To encrypt a folder, right click the file and select Properties. From the General tab, click the Advanced button. Select the Encrypt contents to secure data option. Click OK.

Once you complete these steps, Vista encrypts the contents of the folder as well as any files you add to the folder. When you access a file within the folder, the contents are automatically decrypted.

Any encrypted folders and files will appear “green” within Windows Explorer. This lets you easily identify what is and what is not encrypted.

[tags]Vista, EFS, drive encryption, Microsoft, Windows[/tags]

  • http://www.j-hawkins.com Jim Hawkins

    Dianna,

    I applied EFS to some sensitive folders on my Vista machine. The folder was also accessible to my networked computers. It surely worked. I could not access the files.

    However, my primary reason for applying EFS was to protect these files from internet invasion. What is to prevent some worm or other file sent via internet, then run on my machine, from opening and reading the files in even an EFS encrypted folder?

    Thanks,
    Jim

  • crack

    The privileges to open an EFS-encrypted file are tied to your user account. So the only way the worm could open your encrypted files is to be run under your user account with appropriate privileges.

    And you’re going the wrong way to prevent “Internet invasion.” Basically, if you can access it then so could a malicious script, how else would it work? The computer magically knows that the worm has ill intentions and should be denied access?

  • Mitch

    i tried that but for some reason the checkbox for encryption is faded out. Any suggestions?