Data Security

Why Data Encryption?

With the changes to working practises over the last few years, i.e. the sustained increase in employees working from home (WFH) could potentially mean sensitive business data being held on devices away from the office or corporate systems/servers. For example, employee loses a laptop and/or mobile device or it a device(s) were to be stolen during a home robbery – questions would need to be asked and hopefully answered: what data was on that device and will that data be safe now? 

Importance of data encryption and some methods:

Data encryption is the process of converting data into an unreadable form to prevent unauthorized access. It is an essential tool for protecting sensitive information and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.

Some main reasons being:

1. Confidentiality: Data encryption prevents unauthorized users from accessing sensitive information by rendering it unreadable without the appropriate decryption key. 

2. Data protection: Encryption helps protect data from theft or loss, as encrypted data is useless to anyone who does not have the decryption key.

3. Compliance: Many regulations and industry standards require the encryption of sensitive data to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.

4. Trust: Encryption helps build trust with customers and partners by demonstrating a commitment to protecting their sensitive information.

There are several methods of data encryption, including:

1. Symmetric key encryption: This method uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt data. It is fast and efficient, but requires the secure sharing of the key.

2. Asymmetric key encryption: This method uses a pair of keys – a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. It is slower but more secure than symmetric key encryption and eliminates the need for secure key sharing.

3. Hashing: This method converts data into a fixed-length hash value that cannot be reversed. It is commonly used for password storage.

4. Transport Layer Security (TLS): This method encrypts data transmitted over the internet using a combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption.

Data/device encryption and how to do it

Data/device encryption is the process of encoding data or the entire device to protect its contents from being accessed or read by unauthorized individuals. Encryption is an important security measure for protecting sensitive information such as personal data, financial information, and confidential business data.

Here’s how to encrypt data on a device such as a computer or smartphone:

1. Ensure that the device is running the latest operating system version, as these updates often include security patches.

2. Turn on the device’s built-in encryption feature, such as BitLocker on Microsoft Windows, FileVault on macOS, or Android encryption on Android devices. This option is usually located in the device’s security settings.

3. Follow the prompts to create a strong password or passphrase for the encryption key. This key is used to unlock the encrypted data.

4. Choose whether to encrypt the entire device or only specific files or folders. Encrypting the entire device is more secure, but may take longer and use more system resources.

5. Wait for the encryption process to complete. This may take some time depending on the amount of data being encrypted.

6. Once the encryption process is complete, depending the feature/application being used the device will require the encryption key to be entered before it can be unlocked and accessed.

It’s important to note that encrypting data or a device does not protect against all forms of security threats, such as phishing attacks or malware. It is still important to practice safe browsing habits and use antivirus software to protect against these types of attacks. Additionally, it’s important to keep the encryption key secure and not share it with others.