People in certain professions, such as healthcare, law, and corporations, often rely on password protection when sending files via email, believing it provides adequate security against prying eyes.
Protecting files with passwords without encrypting the data within is generally ineffective, as it can be easily circumvented.
When experts refer to password protection as a security measure, they typically describe situations where a password is the sole method of accessing data, which usually has built-in protection against hacking, either through software or hardware encryption.
These apps generally use software encryption on the files to protect the data.
The level of encryption is not always specified to the user, who can be left unaware of what security technology is being used beyond the password protection.
For reference, Windows offers BitLocker encryption, which supports state-of-the-art Advanced Encryption Standard 256-bit and is the basic standard anyone should insist on for software encryption.
IT leaders value software encryption for its cost-effective implementation, lack of specialized hardware requirements, and easily licensable encryption software if needed.
If hackers can utilize common attack methods, like social engineering, to extract a user's password or encryption keys from a computer's memory or obtain drive recovery keys, the encryption becomes ineffective.
Software encryption relies on your computer's processing power, which can impact system performance when handling large encrypted files like images or videos.
Unlike software encryption, hardware encryption is powered by a separate microprocessor dedicated to user authentication and data encryption.
These processes are separated from the rest of the device, allowing a drive to protect against brute force attacks, making it exponentially harder to crack, if not nearly impossible, without a crypto-erase of the drive that destroys the data forever.
A dedicated security processor also means encryption processes can run much faster, as all data processing is handled on the device, not your computer.
A lost or stolen drive with well-designed hardware encryption does not generally constitute a data breach, as attempts to access data on that drive will cause it to wipe all contents.
Harder to attack: Hardware-encrypted drives are designed to resist attacks, with the ability to track the total password attempts and crypto-erase the drive after a certain number.
Portability: Hardware-encrypted USBs and external SSDs let you securely take your data outside of the office without common risks like emailing financial documents to an accountant or attorney or storing sensitive data on the cloud.
Data recovery is another point of distinction for hardware- and software-based encryption tech.
With ransomware attacks rising, regular backups are critical to data recovery, and for all encryption choices, the best solution is a 3-2-1 backup strategy.
At the end of the day, password protection can only offer a basic level of data security.
For those requiring robust data protection, hardware encryption is should be the preferred method for safeguarding data.
With AES 256-bit encryption, resilience to brute force attacks, and dedicated microprocessors, it provides the enhanced level of security professionals and organizations need to deal with their sensitive data, making investing in secure methods like hardware encryption - not just a smart choice but a necessary one.
This Cyber News was published on www.helpnetsecurity.com. Publication date: Mon, 13 May 2024 14:13:06 +0000