Business data has sensitive company information, including customer credit card and employee information, trade secrets, etc. If it gets into the wrong hands, it could cause significant financial loss and other issues for the business. The frequency of data breaches is increasing. Therefore, companies can protect the data using encryption. The process converts data into an unreadable form called ciphertext. You can only convert ciphertext to plaintext with the associated key.
This blog will look at ten ways you can protect your business data with encryption.
Contents
1. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
AES is a block encryption standard adopted by the U.S. government. A block cipher works with fixed-length groups of bits, called blocks, with a deterministic encoding.
The 128-bit version is effective for less demanding data. But you can also choose 192-bit or 256-bit, which are advanced models. Therefore, they are capable of more complex encryption. If you cannot encrypt your data, you can hire AWS data protection services to do it for you.
2. Disk Encryption
Using disk encryption is the first step to protecting data. Also, you can use it to protect the short-term privacy of information stored on a computer or removable media.
Disk encryption is a good practice for laptops, desktops, and removable disks to transport data, as these appliances are easy to steal.
3. Data Encryption Standard
DES has been outdated for a while now, but some still use it to protect fewer sensitive data, such as financial transactions. RSA SecurID tokens also use this algorithm. You can encrypt or decrypt data using the same key, so a second or third party needs the key to access information. Currently, people prefer to use the AES and Triple DES over DES.
4. Encrypting File System (EFS)
EFS is a feature of NTFS that allows you to encrypt data volumes. It’s a core feature of Windows Server operating systems, especially for businesses that store sensitive data. It provides strong encryption for data security.
If you work on confidential files, you can use this feature to ensure that people can only read them with your permission. Decrypting the information requires a decryption key.
5. Triple Data Encryption Standard (Triple DES)
It’s an improvement to DES. As a symmetric-key algorithm, it uses a single key for encryption and decryption. Its top-notch security makes it immune to brute-force attacks.
It’s suitable for protecting data since it encrypts the information three times, so it ensures your data is safe from hackers. Also, it’s easy to use and provides an excellent level of protection. Although it’s a little slower than AES, it’s still a good option for those with a few sites that just need a little extra security.
6. Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA)
RSA is a set of asymmetric encryption and decryption procedures used to protect the confidentiality of data. It is the most widely used public-key cryptosystem. You can use it to send data between two users or endpoints.
It’s possible to share public keys without losing confidentiality with RSA locks users. You factor two large prime numbers to produce the keys. Its only drawback is that it decrypts large amounts of data slowly.
7. Blowfish
The length of the keys in Blowfish ranges from 32 bits to 448 bits. It divides data into small chunks of 64 bits and then encrypts or decrypts it. It’s free encryption software that works quickly. As no hacker has ever hacked this encryption, it’s one of the best today. Business people and vendors use it to secure confidential data, such as passwords.
8. Twofish
Twofish enhances the Blowfish cipher’s key size and other aspects. The algorithm is also symmetric, which uses 128-bit blocks and 256-bit keys. It’s Feistel ciphers, so the round function and substitution box are distinct parts. Twofish has a variable key length, but you can typically use a 128-bit key.
Using this software for software and hardware data encryption, you can create symmetric encryption quickly. It’s an open cryptosystem, so the algorithm’s specifications are publicly available.
9. Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)
ECC is public-key cryptography based on the algebraic structure of elliptic curves over finite fields. You can use it to secure data in mobile apps, e-commerce, and mobile devices. In addition, it can protect digital signatures. It uses elliptic curves over finite fields as the basis. Because of the complexity of the decryption process, It’s tough to crack. Its short keys also make it fast when encrypting.
10. Format Preserving Encryption (FPE)
Besides encrypting sensitive data, it protects its layout and format as well. FPE encrypts the data with a secret key which you use to decrypt the information irreversibly. You can only use the key once. The amount of data that it can encrypt is only limited to the system’s capacity.
Conclusion
Keeping business data secure is very important to any businessperson. There are so many ways you can keep your data secure. Encryption is one way to keep it safe. It is important to note that encryption is not 100% safe, but it is one of the best ways to ensure that your data is safe from hackers.