What is Data Encryption?

Data Encryption is a process that can be as easy as flipping on a switch if you know what you’re looking to achieve. Let’s recap the basics of this data security asset. To encrypt data is to take a piece of information, and translate it into another piece of unrecognizable information. This end product is called a ciphertext.

To get a ciphertext, you run the information that is to be encrypted through an encryption algorithm. This algorithm takes the original information and, based on randomized rules, transforms the information into a new, undecipherable piece of data. Think of it as a ‘translation’. What the encryption algorithm does is create a new language, and hides sensitive data by transforming it into this secret code, which you can only decrypt and turn back to plaintext if you know the rules, or what’s called a key.

The key represents the mathematical steps the algorithm took to convert your text from “Hello World” into “XJtg920kl#aJFJ”%*¨*FK”. Without it, you can’t decrypt the data, and thus it is protected from unauthorized access.But, there are many different types of encryption algorithms and methods to pick from, so how do you know which one is the safest pick for your cybersecurity needs? Let’s begin with the most basic distinction: symmetric versus asymmetric encryption.

Types of Data Encryption

There are many different types of encryption algorithms and methods to pick from, so how do you know which one is the safest pick for your cybersecurity needs? Let’s begin with the most basic distinction: symmetric versus asymmetric encryption.

Symmetric Encryption

In symmetric encryption, there is only one key, and all parties involved use the same key to encrypt and decrypt information. By using a single key, the process is straightforward, as per the following example: you encrypt an email with a unique key, send that email to your friend Tom, and he will use the same symmetric-key to unlock/decrypt the email.

The perks of symmetric encryption are its faster performance and low resource consumption, but it is inherently older and less secure than its counterpart. The reason is simple: if you scale your encryption to a company-wide scale, it means you’re putting all your trust into a single key you will need to share around a lot.

For this reason, Symmetric encryption is great when working with sensitive data in bulk, or encryption tasks that intend to permanently hide information without the need for decryption. For example, when you activate BitLocker on a Windows computer to encrypt all hard drives. By unlocking the PC with his/her passcode, the user will decrypt data without risk of exposing its secret encryption key. Another example are VPNs, which encrypt your network traffic with a local key and don’t have the need to share that outside of your own use.

Asymmetric Encryption

Asymmetric encryption, on the other hand, was created to solve the inherent issue of symmetric encryption: the need of sharing a single encryption key around that is used both for encrypting and decrypting data. 

This newer and safer method utilizes two keys for its encryption process, the public key, used for encryption, and the private key used for decryption. These keys are related, connected, and work in the following way:

A public key is available for anyone who needs to encrypt a piece of information. This key doesn’t work for the decryption process. A user needs to have a secondary key, the private key, to decrypt this information. This way, the private key is only held by the actor who decrypts the information, without sacrificing security as you scale security.

A good example is email encryption. With asymmetric encryption, anyone can use your public key to send you an encrypted email that you only can decipher using your private key. 

Naturally, asymmetric is a more advanced encryption standard and thus is slower and resource-consuming. Due to this, it is usually utilized in smaller transactions, usually to establish safe communication channels, or authenticating users.

Symmetric vs Asymmetric Encryption

Encryption types can be easily divided into these two categories. Symmetric encryption, which is single-key encryption, and asymmetric encryption, or public-key encryption.

Common Symmetric Encryption Algorithms

AES Encryption or Advanced Encryption System

AES is one of the most common symmetric encryption algorithms used today, developed as a replacement to the outdated DES (Data Encryption Standard), cracked by security researchers back in 2005. This new algorithm sought to solve its predecessor’s main weakness, a short encryption key length vulnerable to brute force.

AES encrypts information in a single block (block cipher), and does so one block at a time in what is called ’rounds’. Data is initially converted into blocks, and then these are encrypted with the key in different rounds depending on key size: 14 rounds for 256-bits, 12 rounds for 192-bits, and 10 rounds for 128-bits. The process involves a series of data manipulation and mixing steps that are done each round: substitution, transposition, mixing, column mix, sub bytes.

Blowfish and TwoFish

Blowfish was another symmetric successor to DES, designed as a block cipher like AES but with a key length that goes from 32 bits to 448 bits. It was designed as a public tool, not licensed and free. This initial version was upgraded to TwoFish, an advanced version of the latter, which utilizes a block size of 128-bits, extendable up to 256-bits.

The main difference with other encryption algorithms is that it utilizes 16 rounds of encryption, independently of the key or data size. 

The main reason why TwoFish is not considered the top symmetric algorithm is that AES gained recognition and was quickly adopted as a standard by manufacturers, meaning it had the upper technical edge.

3DES or Triple Data Encryption Standard

Finally, the direct successor to DES is 3DES, or Triple Des. This symmetric algorithm is an advanced form of the deprecated DES algorithm that uses a 56-bit key to encrypt blocks of data. Its concept is simple: it applies DES three times to each block of information, tripling the 56-bit key into a 168-bit one.

Due to applying the same process thrice, 3DES is slower than its more modern counterparts. Furthermore, by using small blocks of data, the risk of decryption by brute force is higher.

Common Asymmetric Encryption Algorithms

RSA or Rivest–Shamir–Adleman

Considered a staple of asymmetric encryption. Designed by the engineers that gave it its name in 1977, RSA uses the factorization of the product of two prime numbers to deliver encryption of 1024-bits and up to 2048-bit key length. According to research conducted in 2010, you would need 1500 years of computational power to crack its smaller 768-bit version!

However, this means that it is a slower encryption algorithm. Since it requires two different keys of incredible length, the encryption and decryption process is slow, but the level of security it provides for sensitive information is incomparable.

ECC or Elliptic Curve Cryptography

This method was originally pitched in 1985 by Neal Koblitz and Victor S. Miller, only to be implemented years later in 2004. ECC uses a fairly difficult mathematical operation based on elliptic curves on a finite field, in what is called the Elliptic-curve Diffie–Hellman.

With ECC you have a curve, defined by a math function, a starting point (A), and an ending point (Z) in the curve. The key is that to get to Z, you have done a series of “hops”, or multiplications that resulted in Z. This amount of hops is the private key.

Even if you have the starting and ending point (public key), and the curve, it is nearly impossible to crack the private key. This is because ECC is what is called a “trapdoor”, or a mathematical operation that is easy and quick to complete, but extremely difficult to reverse.

ECC, or ECDH, a mathematical formula is of such strength that it can match a 1024-bit key system with security with a 164-bit key. In its highest setting, 512-bits, ECC can achieve a comparable level of security of a 15360-bit RSA key!

To paint a picture, RSA 2048-bit keys are the banking standard, yet 521-bit ECC delivers the equivalent of a 15360-bit RSA key. 

Considering the aforementioned facts, ECC is considered the future of encryption. It’s asymmetric, yet it is able to provide a security level of 256 bits at a maximum key length of 521 bits, which ensures fast encryption speeds with a high complexity of decryption to ensure sensitive data stays safe.

ECC is also extremely attractive for mobile, where processing power is low and data transfers are high. 

Which Data Encryption Algorithm is Best?

Well, that definitely depends. Here is a quick recap of all the algorithms and their best qualities:

AES (Symmetric): 

AES is one of the most frequently used algorithms. It is fast, with a variable key length option that gives it extra security. It is ideal when handling large amounts of encrypted data.

TwoFish (Symmetric – previously BlowFish):

The main attraction of TwoFish is its flexibility in performance, giving you total control of the encryption speed.

3DES (Symmetric):

Despite its slower speeds and generally outdated status when compared to AES, it is still widely utilized in financial services to encrypt ATM PINs and UNIX passwords.

RSA (Asymmetric):

Since its speed isn’t convenient for processing large amounts of data, RSA encryption is mostly used in digital signatures, email encryption, SSL/TLS certificates, and browsers.

ECC (Asymmetric):

The low-cost, low-impact, high-security combination makes it the ideal standard for protecting sensitive mobiles and apps. It may likely be the algorithm of the future. 

Takeaways

Encryption can be an intimidating endeavor. Data is everywhere, and you must consider it on all levels: data at rest, data in motion, who and where need to access this information, how it is transmitted, and what types of interactions you have involving sensitive information that must be encrypted.

You could be encrypting your enterprise’s communications, web browser information, e-commerce transactions, your company’s database, hard drives, or customer and user data. Taking the first step might seem difficult, but it is necessary to document all data interactions and make a plan. This way, you’ll understand what types of encryption you’ll need.

Fortunately, there are many straightforward encryption tools that are already at your disposal, ready to be activated quickly as you figure out the extent of your data security protocols. FileVault on macOS comes integrated and ready to encrypt your Mac computers with AES. Prey can help with Microsoft computers, using BitLocker and AES to provide disk encryption to your devices. It’s ideal if you have a remote workforce. The data is encrypted remotely, so you don’t have to worry about the hassle, but can keep your company safe. 

Prey offers a trial for FREE! Sign up here and see for yourself.

Remote work is going right into a new age: millions of workers adapting their way of life, from 9-to-5 jobs in offices and long commutes to their homes. However, the omnipresent cyber threats –not only malware and phishing but also data leaks, network intrusions, and persistent attacks– have been growing and adapting as well. This way, endpoints that used to be safe are inhabiting insecure network environments.

These are the main topics of our new industry report, called Shift: Status Of The Remote Work Cybersecurity Landscape, created and researched by our team of security professionals and data analysts.

In Shift, we tried to discover the main concerns of security professionals in the United States and the UK regarding this new remote security scenario. For this effect, we partnered with our friends at Vanson Bourne, who helped us in performing an exhaustive survey to 300 IT managers, system administrators, and C-Level executives.

We hope the data compiled in Shift may be useful in decision-making processes regarding remote workers, new security infrastructure or training, cybersecurity providers, and even investment inside your organization.

What’s in the report?

The first installment of Shift brings to the table two main lines of research: Remote Work, and Cybersecurity in the context of remote work.

Remote Work

We can’t deny that 2020 was a year of deep changes, and the paradigm of work was no exception. As we delve deeper into 2021, we decided to trace a line to identify what was the standing point for remote workers, analyzing how big was the remote cloud before the COVID–19 pandemic started (spoiler: it was huge).

We also analyzed the predicted percentage of workers that are staying remote when the pandemic ends: an incredible 43%. We’re sure the data isn’t true to every organization and employer, but we are certain that most companies are going to stay in the trend as much as they can.

Cybersecurity, Before And Now

The coronavirus pandemic isn’t over; there is no “after” yet. As big companies are being hit by persistent threats and provider vulnerabilities, a large percentage of organizations have been scrambling to protect themselves against cyberattacks.

In the report, we compared and contrasted the main concerns of security professionals to study the evolution of threats year to year. Part of our survey also focused on understanding the levels of preparedness against cybersecurity threats and the reasons behind them. For example, the use of home connections, the reduced visibility to maintain security compliance, and the IT staff being completely overwhelmed, were the top three concerns.

Countermeasures, Policies, and Investment

Our report isn’t entirely focused on the problems, but also delves into the most sought-after solutions to these issues in this new remote environment. Information security is an ever-changing industry, and all organizations have been implementing different countermeasures. The growth of endpoint security products and services is a sign of the times, as well as VPN services and solutions related to identity and access management.

However, having security solutions is nothing without proper training and policies. We discovered that most organizations have training in cybersecurity, but at the same time, most surveyed managers don’t trust in the knowledge their employees have about it. We’re not entirely sure what’s the road your organization has to take, but you may this discrepancy as a sign to question the methods you use to train your workers in cybersec.

Read The Complete Report Now

You can access these statistics –and much more– by downloading the Shift report on our dedicated site. As we said, we hope it proves useful when making any decision regarding your remote workers and cybersecurity in this difficult context.