Hands-On Project 5-3: Using the Cipher Command

Objective: Use the Encrypting File System to encrypt directories and files.

Description: In this project, you use the cipher command to investigate the functions of the Encrypting File System (EFS) in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008. EFS requires that users have an EFS digital certificate for encrypting and decrypting files and directories. Users who do not have an EFS certificate have one created automatically the first time they encrypt a file. Users can choose from certificates to allow other users to access encrypted files.

1. Log on either to the Windows Server 2008 or Windows 7 computer as the Teamx administrator.

2. Open a command prompt, type cd \ and press Enter.

3. Create a directory called Private by typing mkdir Private and pressing Enter. Type cd Private and press Enter to change to the Private directory.

4. Create a file called SecretFile.txt by typing copy con SecretFile.txt and pressing Enter. Note that you have not returned to the command prompt; you are still in the file-creating mode.

5. Type This is a secret file. Press Enter, press Ctrl+Z, and then press Enter to end the file. Type dir and press Enter to verify that the file exists. Type type SecretFile.txt to verify the contents of the file.

6. Type cd .. and press Enter to return to the parent directory (C:\). Type cipher and press Enter to display the encryption status for the contents of C:\. Notice that no files or directories are encrypted, as indicated by the "U" (for "unencrypted") that precedes each listing.

7. Type cipher /? and press Enter to see the cipher command help file.

8. Type cipher /E Private and press Enter to encrypt the Private directory. Type cipher and press Enter to verify that the Private directory has been encrypted.

9. Type type \Private\SecretFile.txt to verify that you can still access the file.

10. Create a new file in the Private directory named SecretFile2.txt. Type copy con C:\Private\SecretFile2.txt and press Enter. Type This is also a secret file. Press Enter, press Ctrl+Z, and then press Enter to end the file. Verify that the SecretFile2.txt file exists and that its content is "This is also a secret file."

11. Type cd Private and press Enter. Type cipher and press Enter to see the encryption status of the two files.

12. On the Windows Server 2008 computer, create a domain user named Shifty Smith with a logon name of ssmith and a password of Pa$word. Log off either computer, and then log on as Shifty Smith. 13. Open a command prompt, and change to the C:\Private directory. Enter the type command in an attempt to display the contents of SecretFile.txt and SecretFile2.txt. You should be denied access to SecretFile2.txt.

14. Log out and then log on as the Teamx administrator. Open a command prompt, and change to the C:\Private directory.

15. Type cipher /C and press Enter to see details about the encrypted file, including which users can decrypt the file.

16. Click Start, click Computer, double-click Local Disk (C:), and double-click Private. (Note that Private is shown in green to indicate that it is encrypted.) Right-click SecretFile2.txt, click Properties, click Advanced, click Details, and click Add. Note that Shifty Smith does not have an EFS digital certificate to select, which means that you cannot give Shifty the ability to see the encrypted file.

17. Log off and then log on as Shifty Smith. Right-click the desktop, click New, click Text Document, and name the document Shifty. Right-click the document, click Properties, click Advanced, check the Encrypt contents to secure data box, and click OK. Click OK again. In the Encryption Warning window, click the Encrypt the file only option button, and click OK. Log out.

18. Log on as the Teamx administrator. Repeat Step 16; this time you should see Shifty's EFS certificate. Select it and then click OK four times. Log out.

19. Log on as Shifty Smith, and repeat Step 13. This time you should have access to SecretFile2.txt. Type cipher /C and press Enter. Note that Shifty now is listed as having the ability to decrypt SecretFile2.txt.

20. Close all windows and log out of both systems.