Credit Card Encryption

My understanding is that with appropriate security rights (which I have as administrator, I checked), I should be able to see full credit card numbers in our post-v7.5 encrypted database.

However I can't.  Anyone else have this issue?  This seems a bit like locking a door and throwing away the key.  "My stuff's safe now!  Of course, I'll never get to see or lay hands on it again..."