Which of the following provides the BEST security?

NTFS permissions control access to files and folders on a local system, but if an attacker gains administrator access or removes the drive, these permissions can be circumvented.

Encryption directly protects data at rest or in transit by encoding it, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access to the data through other means (e.g., bypassing permissions), it remains unintelligible without the decryption key. This makes it a fundamental layer of defense against data breaches and unauthorized disclosure.

Strong passwords protect user accounts from unauthorized access, but they do not protect the underlying data if an authenticated user misuses their access or if the data itself is exfiltrated.

Share permissions control network access to shared folders, but they do not protect data if it is accessed locally or if the drive is removed from the system.