Which encryption option would have best prevented theft of data from laptops?

Which encryption option would have best prevented theft of data from laptops?

• A. DFS Encryption
• B. EFS Encryption
• C. SDW Encryption
• D. IPS Encryption

Answer: (B)

Encrypting data at rest on a laptop is the key to stopping a thief from reading sensitive files if the device is stolen. The Encrypting File System (EFS) provides file and folder level encryption integrated with Windows. When you encrypt a file, a file encryption key is created for that file and that key is itself encrypted with your public key and stored with the file. Access requires your private key (typically protected by your login credentials or a smart card). Without the private key, the encrypted data remains unreadable, even if someone has the hard drive. This makes EFS the best fit among the options because it directly protects user data on the disk by tying access to your cryptographic keys. In contrast, the other options aren’t designed for protecting data at rest on a stolen laptop in the same way: one is oriented toward network security rather than disk encryption, and the others aren’t standard, reliable methods for preventing access to encrypted files on a stolen device.

Encrypting data at rest on a laptop is the key to stopping a thief from reading sensitive files if the device is stolen. The Encrypting File System (EFS) provides file and folder level encryption integrated with Windows. When you encrypt a file, a file encryption key is created for that file and that key is itself encrypted with your public key and stored with the file. Access requires your private key (typically protected by your login credentials or a smart card). Without the private key, the encrypted data remains unreadable, even if someone has the hard drive.

This makes EFS the best fit among the options because it directly protects user data on the disk by tying access to your cryptographic keys. In contrast, the other options aren’t designed for protecting data at rest on a stolen laptop in the same way: one is oriented toward network security rather than disk encryption, and the others aren’t standard, reliable methods for preventing access to encrypted files on a stolen device.