To understand how encryption works, we need to understand how it fits into the broader realm of cryptology, how it processes data, common categories, top algorithms, and how encryption fits into IT security.
Symmetric encryption will typically be used for local encryption and data transmission; however, to share data with another person, organization, or application, the encryption key must also be shared - which exposes the key to theft.
Currently, the top four algorithms include AES, Blowfish, ECC, and RSA. AES or the Advanced Encryption Standard was adopted in 2001 by the US National Institute of Standards and Testing as the standard for symmetric encryption.
While not as popular as the RSA standard, ECC can generate equivalent encryption strength with smaller key sizes, which enables faster encryption and decryption.
Specialized encryption tools can be obtained to enable specific types of encryption.
More complex commercial tools provide a variety of encryption solutions or even end-to-end encryption.
Encryption can be applied to protect data but relies upon the rest of the security stack to protect the encryption keys, computers, and network equipment used to encrypt, decrypt, and send encryption-protected data.
End-to-end encryption is a term used to describe two very different types of encryption.
Encryption plays a critical role in security; however, constant attacks magnify errors and attackers can also turn encryption against an organization.
Processing encryption will add significant computing overhead and both security and operations need to be sure to consider current resource constraints when they select encryption solutions.
Opponents of encryption backdoors repeatedly complain that government-mandated encryption flaws put all privacy and security at risk because the same backdoors can also be exploited by hackers, unethical governments, and foreign adversaries.
Even future quantum-resistant encryption algorithms will be vulnerable to an encryption key that is published to GitHub, attached to an email sent to the wrong recipients, or accidentally deleted.
Most errors can be classified as badly selected passwords, lost encryption keys, or poor encryption key protection.
Some organizations will further enhance encryption key protection and management by enclosing them in an encrypted container or with the use of encryption key management tools.
Encryption key management relies primarily on effective encryption key storage and encryption key rotation.
Using different keys or replacing encryption keys strengthens the capability of encryption to protect data over the long term.
While most challenges involve the organization's strategy and operational use of encryption for security, attackers also use encryption maliciously during cyberattacks.
As flaws in these pioneering algorithms became known, cryptologists developed new techniques to make encryption more complicated and incorporated them into new algorithms and even new classifications of algorithms, such as asymmetric encryption.
Today's standard encryption algorithms, such as AES or ECC, will be replaced by new technologies more capable of resisting the increasing power of cloud and quantum computing that can be applied to break encryption codes.
A study by Encryption Consulting found that only 50% of global enterprises adopt an enterprise encryption strategy and only 47% protect cloud-hosted and sensitive data with encryption.
This Cyber News was published on www.esecurityplanet.com. Publication date: Thu, 07 Dec 2023 17:43:05 +0000