Encryption is a security method that scrambles data into a form that only people who possess a key can read. This helps keep personal information safe from hackers and other threats online.
It’s also a good practice to use Encrypted Email when storing sensitive information on a device, like when you have to send it to someone else over the internet. This can prevent a thief from being able to access the data if they steal your laptop.
1. Security
Encryption is one of the most fundamental security mechanisms in use today. It protects data in transit and at rest, both of which are essential to the way organisations operate.
As a result, encryption has become increasingly important to businesses as well as consumers. It is often used to protect sensitive information such as financial details, personal health records and credit card numbers.
Encryption is a key tool in the fight against online threats like hackers and identity theft. It also helps to increase the integrity of information, which is something that many organisations are seeking from their IT solutions.
2. Confidentiality
Encryption is a method of encoding information that cannot be read without the key to decrypt it. It is used to protect data from unauthorized access by third parties, such as hackers and other malicious users.
Confidentiality is a practice that prohibits sharing sensitive or private information with anyone without the consent of the owner. This includes medical records, personal financial information and trade secrets.
Many organizations implement confidentiality policies and procedures to safeguard sensitive data. These include defining the kinds of information that require protection, implementing security measures to protect that data, and educating employees about their obligations.
3. Integrity
When using encryption, it is important to ensure that the data being encrypted remains intact throughout its journey. Often, this can be achieved by using cryptography techniques like hashing and encoding to verify the integrity of the information.
This is especially important when data is being used for critical business applications, such as business analytics or customer interactions. In these cases, missing or inaccurate data can result in poor decision-making and product behavior.
When using encryption, it is also necessary to keep the keys that unlock the encryption work secure from unauthorized use. Without this, even the strongest encryption algorithms can be undone by someone who has access to those keys.
4. Availability
Availability is a real-world issue that affects virtually every organization in some fashion. A well-planned network infrastructure is the lifeblood of any business, and it’s no different in cyberspace. Thankfully, modern technology enables the savvy entrepreneur to leverage their investments in order to grow their business. As such, a smart data plan is a must. One of the best ways to ensure availability is through the deployment of backups and redundant systems. Among the many benefits of such a plan is the security it provides. Specifically, it mitigates the risk of unscheduled downtime and prevents costly data loss and system crashes, both of which can result in lost revenue, unhappy customers and legal liabilities.
5. Privacy
When sending sensitive information online, encryption scrambles the text into a type of secret code that no one can read. This prevents cybercriminals, snoops or anyone else from accessing what you are sending – even if they intercept it before it is delivered.
Encryption is also an essential tool to protect data privacy and safeguard the critical infrastructure we depend on. This includes transportation systems, hospitals and energy grids.
Conclusion
In a world where cybersecurity threats are increasing and attacks against critical infrastructure have proven devastating, users and organisations need security protections that safeguard their data, networks and devices. Strong encryption is one of the most effective and efficient ways to do this, as recognised by GDPR.
