Other system accounts that have permissions for a file - even the Take Ownership permission - cannot open the file without authorization. Only authorized users and designated data recovery agents can decrypt encrypted files. When files are encrypted, their data is protected even if an attacker has full access to the computer's data storage. Encrypting sensitive files by means of EFS adds another layer of security. In this way, sensitive data can be exposed. However, anyone with physical access to a computer such as a stolen laptop can install a new operating system on that computer and bypass the existing operating system's security. Security features such as logon authentication or file permissions protect network resources from unauthorized access. More information is available in Microsoft TechNet documentation : EFS particularly addresses security concerns raised by tools available on other operating systems that allow users to physically access files from an NTFS volume without an access check. The Encrypting File System (EFS) that is included with the Windows 2000 (Professional, all Server editions), Windows XP (Professional), Windows Server 2003/2008/2012, Windows Vista (Business, Ultimate, Enterprise), Windows 7 (Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate), Windows 8 operating systems provides the core file encryption technology to store NTFS files encrypted on disk. About EFS (Encrypting File System) ELCOMSOFT.COM » Advanced EFS Data Recovery

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