- Encryption converts sensitive data into secure codes that can only be accessed with specific decryption keys.
- Proper implementation and key management are critical to realising the full security potential of encryption.
- Encryption also helps organisations comply with privacy laws and regulations, protecting personal and sensitive information from being compromised.
Encryption is a key part of keeping data safe. It turns readable information into secure code to protect against unauthorised access. As technology changes, encryption is still really important for keeping digital communications private and secure in different areas. With cyber threats getting more and more sophisticated, there’s a growing need for strong encryption.
Looking ahead, encryption is set to grow, with new cryptographic techniques being developed to keep up with new technologies and changing regulations. This will continue to shape the cybersecurity landscape, offering better protection for users’ digital interactions.
What is encryption
Encryption is a form of data security in which information is converted into ciphertext. Only authorised people who have the key can decipher the code and access the original plaintext information.
Put more simply, encryption is a way of making data unreadable to an unauthorised party. This thwarts cybercriminals who may have used sophisticated means to gain access to a corporate network, only to find that the data is unreadable and therefore useless.
Encryption not only ensures the confidentiality of data or messages, but also provides authentication and integrity, proving that the underlying data or messages have not been altered in any way from their original state.
Also read: What purposes does encryption serve on internet servers?
The benefits of encryption
Privacy and security: Encryption can prevent data loss. Even if an attacker maliciously gains access to a network, if a device is encrypted, the device is still secure, rendering the attacker’s attempts to consume the data useless. Encryption ensures that no one but the intended recipient or data owner can read communications or data. This prevents attackers from intercepting and accessing sensitive data.
Regulations: Encrypting data allows organisations to protect data and maintain privacy in accordance with industry regulations and government policies. Many industries, particularly financial services and healthcare, have explicit regulations regarding data protection. For example, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires financial institutions to inform customers about how their data is shared and how it is protected. Encryption helps financial institutions comply with this law.
Secure web browsing: Encryption also keeps users safe when they browse the Internet. Early in the history of the internet, attackers found ways to steal unencrypted information sent between users and web services over the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The standard for encrypting web content by running HTTP over the Secure Socket Layer protocol, soon to be replaced by the Transport Layer Security protocol, emerged, enabling enterprises, publishers and e-commerce providers to provide a secure experience for users.
Encryption makes users feel more confident about entering personal information into web pages and conducting financial or e-commerce transactions.
Keep sensitive data safe: Encryption will continue to be a core security feature in everything from video chat to e-commerce to social media. Basically, if it can be shared or stored, it will be encrypted. Organisations and individual users alike would benefit from staying abreast of encryption standards to ensure that both their personal and professional data is safe from misuse or compromise.
Also read: Secure connect: Safeguarding data in a digital world
The challenges of encryption
Attackers will attack even if they know that data or devices are encrypted. They think they can get through with some effort. For many years, weak passwords served as an incentive for attackers to keep trying, because any sophisticated software would figure out passwords sooner or later.
Such brute-force attacks have become more sophisticated, with attackers hoping that thousands or even millions of guesses will reveal the decryption key. However, most modern encryption methods, combined with multi-factor authentication (MFA), help organisations become more resistant to brute force attacks.
Encryption does not inherently make data less secure. Rather, it is a powerful tool that, when implemented and managed correctly, can significantly enhance the security of digital information. The key to effective encryption is robust implementation, ongoing management and regular updates to encryption algorithms and practices.
