What are the Effective Data Encryption Techniques

27-Apr-2020

Cyber security as a term is quite commonly used as far as today’s scenario is concerned where cyber crimes are growing in leaps and bounds. Hackers are continuously trying to manipulate personal information and data, practically of all organizations around the globe.

With a huge amount of trends going on in the hacking world, it becomes quite ardent and necessary that organizations today are constantly looking for cyber security professionals who can utilize their knowledge and skill set to deflate the cyber crime balloon for the good of an organization. They require professionals who can guard their security systems to control and prevent the number of cyber attacks happening worldwide.

Cyber attacks are hard to endure as it causes a lot of financial strain and loss which can never be undone. So prevention is the best bet against all the cyber crimes. If your IT systems are protected and well guarded then your information and data are safe and secure.

Cyber security professionals utilize various ways and techniques in order to safeguard the IT systems in an organization. They make use of several encryption techniques in order to protect and shield valuable information from the clutches of malicious hackers.

Data encryption plays a vital role in the safeguarding process. Let us get more insight into what exactly is a data encryption and how useful it is as a tool in the network security system?

WHAT IS DATA ENCRYPTION IN NETWORK SECURITY?

A large amount of data is shared on a daily basis in an organisation and also among organisations with trusted parties like stakeholders, etc. When the data transfer is done by translating the data into another form or a coded form so that only the person having access to a password or with a decryption key can read it and understand it, this is known as data encryption.

Data encryption is used to transform plain text into a ciphertext that comes with a decryption key In order to ensure data security. This is one of the most common methods of data security used by several organisations all over the globe. Two most widely used forms of data encryption are given below:

1. Asymmetric data encryption
2. Symmetric data encryption

Simply put, data encryption is a complicated process and requires a professional hand. Framing a less convoluted decryption key is a big task in itself. But in order to survive cyber attacks, organisations must use data encryption techniques and procedures to protect and safeguard their precious information and data. 

BENEFITS OF ENCRYPTION AND HOW IT WORKS?

Data encryption allows authentication, integrity and non-repudiation in an organisation. When the other authorised party receives encrypted data, they need to verify the message’s origin. This is achieved through authentication and integrity validated that the contents of the message are untouched since it was sent. Furthermore, the sender of the message cannot deny sending the message owing to the fact that it was in non-repudiation.

Data encryption plays a vital role in an organisation and precisely every organisation depends on how effective their encryption system is in order to work efficiently and effectively without having troubles like data theft and information leaks.

A smooth working environment is ensured in an organisation with the help of data encryption techniques and tools. Confidentiality is maintained inside the organisation and among the different parties working on a collaboration over a project or an assignment.

WHY DO ORGANIZATIONS NEED ENCRYPTIONS?

Organisation all over the globe need data encryption for the following reasons:

Organisations need data encryption in order to differentiate themselves from the fraudulent website that floods the internet today. Authentication is of prime importance in today’s world if businesses want to succeed. Data encryption provides scope for authentication and thereby protects the branding of an organization. 

Data encryption is a useful tool for organisations because it checks the activity of cyber criminals, hackers, spammers and government institutions who constantly try to invade the security systems to grasp precious information and data belonging to the organisations.

Data encryption provides ultimate security to all the organisations who practice data encryption techniques. Data breaches and malicious hackers are kept at bay because organisations practice data encryption.

THREE MOST IMPORTANT ENCRYPTION TECHNIQUES

The three most important encryption techniques are listed below: 

SYMMETRIC ENCRYPTION METHOD 

Symmetric encryption is also known as private-key cryptography or a secret key algorithm. Under this encryption method, the sender and the receiver make use of a single key for encryption and decryption purposes. Generally, this form of encryption is used by the closed systems owing to the fact that they are at minimal risk of any third party intrusion. However, this method is far faster than the asymmetrical one. 

ASYMMETRIC ENCRYPTION METHOD 

Asymmetric encryption method utilises two keys namely public and a private key for encryption processes. One key is used for encryption purposes while the other key is used for decryption purposes. Both the keys are linked mathematically. The public key is easily accessible by everyone whereas the private key is intended for private users or recipients.

HASHING

Hashing refers to the generation of a fixed-length signature for a data set or a message. Hackers cannot decipher data that is encrypted through the method of hashing. Additionally, this method is utilized for verification purposes only.

It perfectly represents that no one has made any changes to the original data or with a piece of information.

FIVE MOST COMMONLY USED ENCRYPTION ALGORITHMS

There are varied forms of encryption algorithms available in the tech world. You can choose either one or a combination of two or more algorithms to perform data encryption in your organization. The selection of the best suitable algorithm depends on the need of your organization. The most commonly used encryption algorithms are listed below:

RSA

RSA comes under the category of the public key encryption algorithm and is widely applicable for encrypting data that is sent over the internet. Its utilization is widely seen in PGP and GPG programs.

RSA falls under the asymmetric algorithm owing to the fact that it makes use of a pair of keys, wherein one key is used for the process of encryption while the other is used for the decryption process. This unique asymmetrical quality makes it a great encryption algorithm as it creates havoc for the hackers and the intruders to crack it or break it.

BLOWFISH

BLOWFISH was formulated as a substitute for the DES encryption algorithm. The messages are split into blocks of 64 bits for individual encryption under this symmetric cypher. It is widely accepted due to its swift speed and effectiveness. The free access to its availability also adds to its popularity.

TWOFISH

TWOFISH is the successor of BLOWFISH and uses keys ranging up to 256 bits in length. It requires only one key because it falls under the category of symmetric encryption. It can be easily utilized under both hardware and software domains.

AES

AES is the most trusted form of encryption algorithm till date, owing to the fact that it uses keys of 192 and 256 bits for colossal encryption purposes. It is protected from practically all intrusions and is extremely reliable in the 128-bit category.

TRIPLE DES

It has been introduced as a replacement for the original Data encryption standard (DES) algorithm. It is a widely used algorithm in various financial services and other industries.

DATA ENCRYPTION BEST PRACTICES

For secure and efficient data encryption, organizations or security professionals can make use of the following practices that can ensure encryption of data to the fullest.

A SECURE ENCRYPTION KEY

The whole point of encrypting your data is to secure your data from falling into the hands of any unauthorized party that may use it against you. To bear such a complicated process to secure your data just to lose it in the hands of some malicious hackers or unauthorized parties can be way more painful than encrypting it in the first place. Therefore it becomes mandatory to secure your encryption key to the fullest in order to prevent any information or data leaks from your organization.

ENCRYPTION OF SENSITIVE DATA

Not encrypting every kind of data can be a harmful step in the long run. If breaching occurs then your valuable information might land into the hands of unauthorized parties and they may use it against you or your organization. All the sensitive data must be encrypted in order to secure your data and information. It is also important that you run constant checks on the encrypted data for any possible leaks or intrusions.

 ASSESSMENT OF ENCRYPTION PERFORMANCE

Encrypted data must be accessible when there is a requirement to consume it. Encrypted data that takes too long to get assessed by the organization is not in the best encryption format. You must check for better encryption options as per your organization and then process with one best data encryption practice. You can select from a variety of data encryption tools to get your hands on a suitable fit for your organization and its needs.

IS A CAREER IN NETWORK SECURITY PROFESSIONAL YOUR CUP OF TEA?

If a career in network security excites you then you can begin your Cyber security professional journey with us through our wide range of programs that can transform 

your abilities for greater opportunities.

For entry-level programs, you can check out our Cyber security fundamental programs.

If you are already working as a cyber security professional with an optimum amount of experience in the IT security field then you can go for a Master in cyber security, Ethical hacking professional (EHP) certification, Cyber security professional (CSP) certification, etc.

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