While there is no foolproof way to ensure data security and prevent breaches, data encryption is a simple yet effective solution to render stolen or leaked data useless to cybercriminals. It’s important to recognize that no security measures are perfect, but encryption can add a layer of protection to your data if other precautions fail.
Data encryption solutions are tools that enable organizations to implement encryption on a large scale. These solutions typically include advanced encryption algorithms and administrative tools that facilitate encryption deployment, key and password management, access policy configuration, and encryption monitoring across the organization.
All You Need to Know About Data Encryption
Data encryption is the process of encoding data or information using advanced cryptographic algorithms and tools, which renders the data unreadable without the necessary decryption key or password. Encryption is used to protect sensitive data from malicious actors and ensure that it remains secure. Encryption makes it highly difficult to decrypt data without the key.
Types of Data Encryption
Data encryption is a crucial tool for protecting both stored and transmitted data, with different types of encryption available based on the user’s needs. These include:
1. Symmetric Encryption
Also known as private-key cryptography, symmetric encryption uses a single key to encrypt and decrypt data. For secure communications, the sender and recipient must have the same key. Using the same encryption key for encryption and decryption, the key provides an unbroken layer of encryption. The single key can be in the form of a password, code, or string of random numbers.
2. Asymmetric Encryption
Asymmetric encryption, also known as public-key cryptography, provides a higher level of security compared to symmetric encryption in certain scenarios. This is because asymmetric encryption uses two keys, a public key and a private key, which offer additional security features. One of the main advantages of asymmetric encryption is that it allows for authentication and non-repudiation of the data source. It does, however, harm the transmission process, the network speed, and the performance of machines.
The Working Process of Data Encryption
Basically, data encryption uses two components to encrypt sensitive information:
- Complex mathematical algorithms
- Digital keys
During the process, the cipher ( encryption algorithm) and encryption key encode the data into ciphertext. Upon delivery to the recipient, the ciphertext is decoded using the same or a different key.
The success of data encryption rides entirely on encryption keys. They work like conventional keys- only the right key can unlock the encrypted data. It is possible to generate encryption keys both manually and by using hi-tech software that scrambles data with an algorithm and generates a key for encryption.
Cybercriminals are constantly trying to steal information as data becomes more valuable, and organizations are constantly looking for better solutions to safeguard it. Encryption seems to be the best option in this scenario because it provides several advantages.
10 Amazing Benefits of Investing in Data Encryption
1. Provides additional security
Ciphertext transforms plain text into a formidably protected and encrypted format. Without the right encryption keys, attackers cannot decrypt and access the data. No amount of advanced computing would suffice to break down the data and extract the information. In short, stealing encrypted data will only turn out to be a total failure and a useless venture.
2. Offers added privacy
From highly classified military information to bank accounts and medical records, encryption blankets all kinds of data with absolute privacy. Only those with authorized access can use the encryption keys to decode data and use it for professional purposes.
3. Enhances system security
Corrupted data can completely derail your system integrity during migration from one system to another. Even modified data can alter the integrity of all other data stored in your system. However, encryption ensures that your systems remain intact. Besides, you have the assurance of using authenticated data from a source.
4. Ensures legal compliance
Encryption automatically keeps your data within regulatory boundaries such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS. These regulatory laws specifically implement the strongest measures to protect data, especially for healthcare and financial institutions. These laws also recommend the most powerful protection for stored data and data in transit. Encryption ensures that your business remains compliant with these laws.
5. Protects data in the cloud
Data saved in public clouds are exposed to much bigger threats like:
- Accidental exposure across the internet
- Insider threats by the cloud provider
- Unauthorized access by cloud tenants
All of these threats can be mitigated by encrypting information in cloud storage by default.
6. Improves business integrity
Data protection is a worldwide necessity. Everyone knows about it and wants it, especially when it involves their personal information like social security numbers, bank account details, contact details, etc. When your organization leaves no stone unturned in data protection, it increases your client’s trust and confidence in your company.
Encryption can be a formidable tool in gaining your client’s trust. Publicly disclosing the fact that you are using encryption technologies will also have a positive impact on your clients.
7. Ensures data integrity
Encrypted data is incomprehensible to humans, but it contains elements like checksums. If any changes are made to encrypted data during the decryption process, the decryption will fail, and the data will be lost. Therefore, it is vital to ensure the encrypted data is not tampered with. At the same time, tampered-with data cannot be decoded. Therefore, if you can decrypt data, it means that the data is 100% authentic and has not been tampered with.
8. Safeguards intellectual property
Intellectual property like trademarks, patents, copyrights and even secret recipes are priceless assets with high market value. Companies can invest in encryption to safeguard these intellectual assets from being stolen or misused by insiders.
9. Regularizes key management
Making encryption keys, delivering them to information owners, backing them up, and damaging them when access is revoked are essential key management aspects. Having a system in place to generate, back up, and revoke encryption keys keeps the data secure and only accessible to the people who are meant to have access. This ensures the encrypted information is certain, as the encryption key is the only way to access the data.
10. Prevents consequences of data theft
Data breach, data theft, data loss- whatever happens can leave a trail of disastrous consequences for your organization and its reputation. It is always hard to keep data-related disasters under wraps. When word gets out, customers may leave or file lawsuits against the company. Eventually, it may lead to bankruptcy. Data encryption may be the best solution to avoid facing these unwanted consequences.
For individuals and organizations who wish to protect their confidential information, encryption should be their priority. Make it a mandatory investment for your company and your peace of mind!
Choose CMIT’s Cybersecurity Solutions
CMIT Solutions is a top destination for many Tempe-based companies when it comes to cybersecurity solutions. Partner with CMIT and allow our expertise to protect your data from the growing wave of cyber threats. Reach out to us today.