Comparison with Windows Encrypting File System EFS
Return to Introduction   Previous   Next

Cryptainer compared to the Windows Encrypting File System (Win 2000 and Win XP)  
 
Windows 2000/XP EFS

Cryptainer
bullet Copying encrypted files to any other file system type (FAT, FAT32, earlier versions of NTFS) will save the file in decrypted form.


bullet Encrypted data stays encrypted irrespective of the file systems


bullet Only works on Windows 2000/XP with NTFS.


bullet Cryptainer works with most 32 bit versions of Windows.
bullet Opening encrypted files over the network, decrypts the file on the remote side and sends decrypted data over the network.


bullet Cryptainer encrypted data stays encrypted on the network or for that matter any place else.

bullet Most data backup programs are not yet aware of EFS encrypted files. Hence all backups are unencrypted. Currently only Microsoft's BACKUP utility included with Windows 2000 is able to back up EFS encrypted files without decrypting them in the process.


bullet Any data backup program can be used with the Cryptainer vault file. All back up data will always remain encrypted.
bullet Folder encryption does not prevent the listing of files contained within.


bullet All folders stored within a Cryptainer vault are totally inaccessible to anyone. No listing is possible.

bullet Due to the way NTFS performs compression, compression and encryption are mutually exclusive for the same file.


bullet Cryptainer allows for compressed files to be stored within the volume.
bullet With physical access to a system, a user can boot the system from floppy disks or use other programs to access encrypted files.

bullet There is nothing an adversary can do to access the data within a Cryptainer vault file even with physical access to the machine. Encrypted data even if obtained, cannot be read by any one.

bullet EFS encryption and decryption does not require a separate password from the user's normal logon under the assumption that only the user can log on as himself and use his certificate to encrypt/decrypt their data.


bullet Cryptainer uses passwords that are independent of the user's login password.