Contact us anytime to know more — Amit A., Founder & COO CISIN
What Is Data Encryption?
Encryption of data can provide one way of safeguarding it by restricting who can decrypt it; only those authorized will be able to unlock or decipher it.
Otherwise, any uninvited user or entity accessing encrypted information without authorization will see scrambled results. Encryption can occur during storage and transmission but generally utilizes authentication services to ensure only authorized users gain access to keys for decrypting it.
Data encryption involves turning legible information into unintelligible text to protect its confidentiality from prying eyes and protect documents, files, emails, and any other forms of communication from prying eyes.
Encryption is an indispensable tool that must not be undervalued to safeguard data integrity. We encounter Encryption almost daily online - from websites and applications, such as Dropbox and Facebook Messenger, through to media files which must be converted into encrypted format before viewing or processing, then back again after decryption.
As stated in the article, Encryption has become ubiquitous across large companies, small businesses, and individual consumers.
Encryption provides an efficient means of safeguarding information passing between endpoints and servers. It is widely utilized due to cybercrime risks. With an increased risk in cybercrime risks on the rise, everyone using the Internet should at least familiarize themselves with basic encryption techniques to use them responsibly and appropriately.
How Does Data Encryption Work?
Plaintext (or cleartext) data must be encrypted using encryption algorithms, and mathematical calculations must be run over raw information to achieve Encryption.
Each encryption algorithm varies in terms of its application and security features. Encrypting data requires a key and an appropriate encryption algorithm; plaintext information is converted into "ciphertext" and sent off through insecure communication channels as usual.
Decryption keys allow the intended recipient to reverse this process and convert ciphertext back to plaintext format, easily readable for them to comprehend and easily accessible for reading purposes.
Decryption keys should always remain confidential; they need not necessarily match up to those used to encrypt messages - we can illustrate this with an example here.
Data Encryption: Why Is It Important? Key Benefits
Promotes Data Integrity
Data encryption helps protect data authenticity by verifying its originality, as it helps guarantee no one has altered or falsified it.
Encryption also helps avoid the corruption that might otherwise arise as data is stored or transferred between various systems and provides another layer of security against intentional or accidental deterioration of files.
Compliance Support
Many industries impose stringent data protection rules. Healthcare must abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
At the same time, financial institutions must comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. Businesses can meet regulatory compliance requirements by encrypting sensitive data - this may help avoid fines and penalties.
Protects Data In Transit
Data transferred between devices or systems can be particularly vulnerable to unauthorized access. Hence, Encryption helps keep sensitive information protected during transit by restricting viewing rights only to parties who possess decryption keys.
As more employees access sensitive company data from mobile devices, Encryption offers another layer of defense for sensitive information between employees' mobile phones and the company network.
Protecting Data On Cloud Storage
Cloud storage offers numerous advantages to businesses, including easier accessibility, lower costs, and infrastructure needs, but can pose unique security concerns for users.
Companies storing data with cloud providers worry about protecting it when resting or stored on servers - additional protection for this data comes from Encryption which adds another level of safety for these sensitive files.
Protecting Remote Work
Remote work has grown increasingly prevalent, and data breaches and security incidents related to remote employees have increased as more employees work from home or distant locations.
Encryption can protect sensitive information that remote workers access while remaining protected despite compromised devices and connections.
Protecting Intellectual Property
Intellectual property, such as proprietary algorithms and designs for products, trade secrets, or other forms of intellectual property, is crucial to any business's success.
Yet, it must be protected to preserve a competitive edge and prevent corporate espionage. Encrypting data provides another protection measure against corporate espionage since an unauthorized party won't be able to decipher encrypted files and gain entry:
- Authentication: Public key Encryption ensures that an origin server owns its private key, thus legitimately receiving its SSL certificate. This feature is handy given the prevalence of fraudulent websites online today.
- Privacy: Encryption ensures that only intended recipients and owners can read messages or data transmitted over an encrypted channel, thus protecting personal information from cybercrime, spammers, and internet service providers who might try to gain unauthorized access or read it.
- Regulation Compliance: Government agencies and industries impose protection regulations requiring companies to keep personal user data encrypted when processing it - HIPAA and PCI-DSS are some compliance and regulatory standards which mandate this practice.
- Security: Encryption can protect against data breaches at both the rest and transit stages of their process, even in instances of loss or theft of devices owned by your organization by employees, which means your drive's contents remain safe even in their hands. Furthermore, Encryption protects from man-in-the-middle attacks while permitting parties to exchange freely without fearing data leakage or theft.
Want More Information About Our Services? Talk to Our Consultants!
Types Of Data Encryption Techniques
Internet security professionals (ISs) typically divide encryption methods into three broad categories - symmetrical, asymmetrical, and hashing encryption methods which will each be discussed further below.
Symmetric Encryption Method
This method, also called private key Encryption or secret vital algorithms, requires both the sender and recipient of their message to possess access to a unique personal key for decryption purposes.
As it requires both parties to have knowledge of both sides, private-key Encryption or secret vital algorithms are best utilized with closed systems that do not present risk from third-party intrusion.
Positively, symmetrical Encryption can be faster than its asymmetric counterpart; however, both parties need to ensure the encryption key can only be accessed using appropriate software.
Synchronous Encryption utilizes one unique key for both Encryption and decryption, thus creating faster speeds than its asymmetrical counterpart, as well as being most suitable when used by individuals within closed systems or individually. When employed among multiple users, however, the transmission of keys creates risks of theft; AES being one such common form.
Asymmetric Encryption Method
Public-key Encryption uses two mathematically related keys to encrypt data; one key can be used for Encryption while the other for decryption - although which key you choose depends solely upon you.
Public and Private Keys can both be utilized freely, while only those intended to receive messages using them have access to decoding them using private keys that remain with only them.
Both keys consist of large numbers that differ; when combined to form "Asymmetrical Keys."
Asymmetric Encryption relies on mathematically linked keys that must be used to decrypt data, making multiple users capable of sharing them across networks such as the Internet without the risk of theft of sensitive information.
What Is Cloud-Based Encryption?
Organizations using cloud storage services for their data need to secure it before uploading it for storage, so knowing exactly which Encryption services the provider offers before selecting one is crucial for safe data management and storage.
Cloud service providers usually include encryption capabilities within their offerings as a standard feature or can offer these as separate add-on services; before selecting one, it is vital that organizations understand exactly what features it has available before proceeding:
- It should provide encryption services or not.
- How strong is Encryption? Does it meet the regulatory requirements of your organization?
- There are different models, including client-managed keys and fully-managed keys.
- Learn how to implement end-to-end Encryption so that your data is encrypted from cloud storage to the end user and vice versa.
Cloud encryption should form the backbone of any security strategy. Organizations should remain aware of several important considerations:
- End-users can find cloud encryption complex, notably when it is end-to-end encrypted.
- Cloud encryption can be hard to integrate with on-premises systems or devices.
- It is essential to keep track of the usage of cloud-based Encryption, as it's a computationally intensive process. It can result in higher cloud costs depending on the pricing model.
- If keys aren't adequately protected, they won't offer security benefits.
What Is Hashing?
Hashes are fixed-length signatures used to identify data or messages uniquely. Each letter receives its hash, which makes tracking minor information changes easy.
When used for encryption purposes, hashing cannot be reversed or decrypted but only serves to verify data.
Internet security experts do not consider hashing to be an encryption method; however, its classification as such can be accepted.
Bottom line: hashing provides an efficient means of showing that data has not been altered. Now let's learn about encryption algorithms.
Steps For Implementing An Effective Encryption Strategy
Collaboration
Teamwork is essential when devising an encryption strategy, so approach it like any project, with members from management, operations, and IT collaborating on this endeavor.
Gather critical information from key stakeholders; research any laws or guidelines which might influence purchase or implementation decisions; identify any high-risk risk areas such as mobile devices, laptops, wireless networks, and backup data storage services before finalizing an encryption strategy plan.
Define Your Security Requirements
An understanding of your security requirements is beneficial, starting with conducting a potential threat analysis which allows you to identify data that requires Encryption.
Because different encryption systems have differing processing and strength requirements, you must determine exactly how secure you need your storage system to be.
Choose The Right Encryption Tool
Once your needs have been established, start searching for solutions. When protecting your network, you'll require various data encryption algorithms; to start, you might use secure sockets protocol (SSL), which encrypts data sent and received from your site, and advanced encryption standards (AES) for added protection at rest and transit.
Making use of appropriate technologies at every level will protect data at rest as well as in transit; encrypted email messages or applications could further boost overall security measures.
Deploy Your Encryption Plan With Ease
As with any significant change within your company, implementing an encryption plan requires careful preparation.
Your new Encryption may need to be integrated into the backend of customer-facing apps; additionally, you may require further procedures to incorporate Encryption with legacy systems. With proper planning and assistance from third-party IT service providers during the transition phase, creating your encryption strategy will be manageable for IT staff with additional tasks.
Maintaining Security Culture After Installation
Data encryption may provide significant value, but it will only solve some security challenges. To achieve optimal results, ensure that staff has been trained on how to utilize Encryption and critical management properly - workers storing encryption keys on insecure servers may allow hostile attackers to gain entry to encrypted company information; in fact, 84 percent are attributable to such errors! To achieve maximum protection with data encryption combined with other techniques (for instance, security hardware can help keep data protected at multiple levels), which should help your business keep sensitive files safer than ever.
Read more: Data Security Techniques For Mid-Market Businesses
Types Of Data Encryption Trends
Here are a few trends expected to lead to further advances in data encryption technology shortly.
Bring Your Own Encryption
BYOE (also called Bring Your Own Key (BYOK), or Bring Your Own Encryption Key) is a security model for cloud computing which enables customers of cloud services to manage encryption keys with software they own, similar to what Bring Your Own Key does (BYOK).
However, customers also use virtualized versions of BYOE and cloud applications hosted in virtualized versions of themselves encryption software.
Encryption As A Service (EaaS)
EaaS, or Encryption as a Service (EaaS), is a subscription model where cloud providers charge customers peruse of encryption services offered via subscription.
Designed to address compliance concerns while giving customers the autonomy of managing Encryption themselves for multi-tenant environments, services include either full disk encryption (FDE) or database or file encryption services.
Cloud Storage Encryption
Cloud storage services often employ encryption algorithms for their stored data, similar to what would be done on-premise, though with some critical differences.
Customers should familiarize themselves with providers' security policies regarding Encryption and key management to ensure their encrypted information remains as safe as possible.
End-To-End Encryption (E2EE)
E2EE ensures that anyone intercepting communication between two parties cannot gain access to any sensitive data, even with Transport Layer Security set up to encrypt communication channels between clients and servers; an attacker could view data before decryption occurs by the server.
Field Level Encryption
Field-level encrypted text to safeguard certain areas on websites, like those for credit cards or social security numbers, is known as encryption.
Sequential Link Encryption
At its heart, network encryption provides a means to encrypt the information before it leaves its source host. It decrypts it on each network link that follows (which could include either another host or relay point) before re-encrypting with different algorithms or keys as it travels down its journey to reach its final destination.
Network Level Encryption
The network forwarding layer (L3) of the OSI model lies between levels 2 and 4, above application and below data-link layers, where Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) encryption technology creates a private communication framework when used according to standards in IP networks.
Best Practices Of Data Security In Data Encryption
Security breaches at prominent companies around the globe are frequently highlighted in the media, exposing weaknesses in data protection in organizations worldwide and failing to implement adequate measures.
Data security is of utmost importance for your company's overall success; your trade secrets, employee records, and financial documents must all remain safe to prevent irreparable reputational and financial damages in case your security is breached - or, at the very least, avoid becoming headline news. Take these steps now to increase security.
Data Protection Is Not Limited To Perimeter Security
Many organizations should place more of their security budget towards firewalls that encase their data, spending nearly 90% on such technology.
There are various methods a firewall can be breached through customers, employees, and suppliers who bypass exterior security to gain access to sensitive data without incurring fines from this breach; you should therefore make sure your efforts to secure data extend beyond just protecting its perimeter but include both its actual contents as well.
Insider Threats: Be Aware
Publicly reported cyber threats often depict outsiders as severe and costly. Still, employees may pose a greater danger due to being more accessible for attackers to attack from within than from without.
Insider attacks are notoriously difficult to prevent or detect due to their nature; for instance, an employee might unwittingly release ransomware by clicking an attachment that they consider trustworthy; these types of ransomware worms remain one of the world's biggest security challenges.
Encrypt All Devices
As more and more individuals rely on mobile devices or personal computers for work purposes, how can you ensure these devices remain reliable? Make sure data remains encrypted during migration.
Test Your Security
Consider carefully whether installing antivirus software on your computers and devices can protect them from attack.
Recent data breaches demonstrate how professional security assessments will reveal vulnerabilities you might not expect. Take an inventory of what employees are up to around your office space; look out for suspicious activity, such as sticky-note passwords.
Delete Redundant Data
As part of their business operations, sensitive data management is required in various organizations - especially education, healthcare, and finance institutions.
Information disposal systems help prevent theft of outdated information by shredding, erasing, or otherwise rendering redundant data unintelligible - to make sure employees do not store it away in their computers or on USB sticks.
Cybersecurity: Spending Time And Money On It
CIOs recognize the necessity of investing more resources into data security; its absence remains the most significant risk to IT infrastructure.
Many large organizations employ chief security officers tasked with safeguarding sensitive information they possess; these officers frequently hold board-level positions that recognize cybersecurity's significance for all operations.
Establish Strong Passwords
Many organizations employ loose password policies, making simple and generic passwords accessible for hackers to crack.
Such passwords grant access to sensitive data. To increase security, start with creating solid passwords by updating them at least every 90 days; consider passwords like "12345", "Admin1," and "Admin2".
Never store them anywhere where others could see them.
Regularly Update Your Software
Maintain and update your computer regularly. Staying updated and patched is essential, and using only edited security applications is the solution to maintaining optimal computer health as hackers and ransomware strains update to exploit vulnerabilities in older software versions.
Update security applications frequently so they remain effective against future attacks.
Regularly Back Up Your Data
Safe backups should form an essential component of any IT security plan, helping protect against anything from accidental deletion to ransomware attacks.
Backup data must always be kept from primary office environments for maximum protection and best security practices.
Develop A Security Culture Throughout The Company
Each person who uses a username and password for data is responsible for protecting it, making IT administrators aware that IT employees should remind managers and staff not to share login details freely with anyone outside their immediate workgroups.
Everyone shares responsibility in safeguarding data security - not only IT employees.
Future Of Data Encryption
Industry efforts in cryptography have taken several directions to avoid brute force decoding; therefore, attempts have been made at increasing key size to minimize brute force decryption cracks; similarly, novel cryptographic algorithms are currently under examination; for instance, the Standards and Technology presently testing out an innovative quantum-safe public key algorithm.
Most quantum-safe algorithms on traditional computers are inefficient; thus, the industry is currently focused on creating accelerators that will accelerate them for x86 systems.
Homomorphic Encryption, which enables calculations on encrypted data without first decrypting it, makes for fascinating reading. An analyst may query a database containing sensitive material without needing permission or declassification first.
Homomorphic cryptography offers multidimensional data protection both now and into the future, including during transmission, use, or rest.
Furthermore, its algorithms employ some of the same math quantum computers use - making it safe from interference.
Want More Information About Our Services? Talk to Our Consultants!
Conclusion
Securing data and security keys takes effort; object storage solutions on-premise can assist with this effort whether your cloud is private, hybrid, or public.
Data Security Platform safeguards all your information wherever it resides: on-premises, in the cloud, or hybrid environments. Furthermore, its visibility grants your security team complete insight into how data is utilized within an organization and access is granted or denied by personnel within that same environment.
