How can encryption be used to prevent a data breach?

Encryption acts like a secret code for your data. When you use encryption, you're essentially converting your information into a format that can only be understood with the right "key" or password. So, if someone unauthorized tries to access the data, all they'll see is a jumble of meaningless characters. It's like putting your sensitive information in a virtual vault and only allowing access to those with the right combination. This way, even if there's a breach, the stolen data remains unreadable without the proper decryption key.

Encryption is powerful. It makes your data unreadable to someone without the “key”. It is very important to ensure a secure encryption type is used and the key is heavily protected. Encryption is the number one mitigation technique for Man in the Middle attacks.

Imagine you have a super cool secret language that only you and your friend understand. Encryption is like using that secret language to write messages so that only you and your friend can read them, and nobody else can understand what you're saying. It's like having a special code to keep your messages safe!

While encryption is becoming more and more of a standard in system deployment, we tend to forget that it is only an element of a long chain.Managing key storage, accesses, and rotations are crucial processes to maintain adequate encryption.These last years showed us several vulnerabilities in encryption libraries, such as OpenSSL, but nothing makes it more vulnerable than poor configuration and weak key management processes.

Lets go to the basics by explaining what encryption is (10 year old explanation): Imagine you and your friend have a special language that only the two of you understand. You send a message to your friend using the special language. A bully comes along and tries to see what is the message you sent to your friend, well sorry for the bully but special language is not for bullies and they cant understand it. . Encryption is like having your own secret language for messages. It helps keep information safe by making it look like gibberish to people who don't know the special code. So, just like you and your friend can understand your secret language, only the right person with the right code can understand encrypted messages.

Encryption is essential for one of the cyber security goals, i.e. confidentiality. When used in conjunction with Digital Signatures and Hashing, this can be extended to supporting Integrity and Non-repudiation. Therefore it is a foundation control for Cyber Security and is used across a number of processes. From helping to preventing information assets from un-authorised disclosure for data at rest and in transit, through to protecting against MiTM (man in the middle) attacks in web applications.

In my experience with network protocols, encryption plays a major role in mitigating vulnerabilities such as collision attacks in hashing algorithms; eavesdropping that might lead to data leakage; gaining unauthorized remote access to a server; MITM, session hijacking, password spraying and brute-force attacks associated with file transfer, email, messaging and VoIP. It is crucial to enable encryption for all network protocols where possible because I also understand that some legacy (deprecated) protocols still need to be kept active for operational purposes in which case, additional security measures must be implemented such as ring fencing.

Encryption can safeguard everyday computer and internet usage. The hard disk of a computer must be encrypted for the safety of data. We should also encrypt our business email communications.

Much like the locks on your doors at home or in your car, encryption is the lock that protects your data whether it is on your computing device or traversing the internet=, such as with banking websites. Without encryption, anyone and everyone would have unfettered access to your data. Everyone thinks about protecting their data on the internet, but disk encryption on your local computing resources is commonly overlooked, sadly. Most of the regulatory compliance requirements around encryption are there to ensure these exposure points are not overlooked.

Encryption can be used to protect both confidentiality and integrity of data. If confidentiality or integrity of specific data is important. Encryption should be used in transit and at rest.

Secure data at rest: Full Disk Encryption (FDE): Encrypt entire storage. File-level Encryption: Secure specific files. Strong Passwords: Enhance encryption with unique passwords. Biometric Authentication: Bolster access with biometrics. Secure Containers: Encrypt containers for sensitive data. HSMs: Use dedicated hardware for key management. Cloud Storage Encryption: Choose services with built-in encryption. Encrypted Backups: Ensure secure backups. Secure Data Erasure: Properly erase data securely. Enforce Security Policies: Establish consistent encryption practices. These measures ensure robust security for stored data.

It is a great misconception in data protection that full disk encryption is data at rest protection. Full disk encryption really only protects when the data is asleep. This technique only works when the system is turned off so it is only useful in the event of physical drive theft. Once a system is turned on the drives decrypt so both malicious insiders and outsiders can steal the data. It is important to blend protections since data stores are always growing. Using file, application, and database encryption with quantum resilient key management is critical. Utilizing platforms that automatically find, tag, and protect data allows you to get to a known good state. Any time new data is created or ingested it is automatically protected.

Some effective strategies for data at rest encryption include: 1. Use Full Disk Encryption (FDE) tools like BitLocker or FileVault. 2. Employ encryption software to protect specific files or folders. 3. Utilize database encryption for data stored in databases. 4. Opt for storage devices with built-in encryption (self-encrypting drives). 5. Ensure cloud services provide encryption for stored data. Key management is also crucial to keep your encryption effective and secure.

If you access a disk (traditional, SSD or NVMe) via the computer or storage appliance to which it belongs, appropriate access control is applied, but if you take the disk out of this device and attach it to another device, which is under your control, you could circumvent all these controls. To prevent this type of attack, you encrypt the disk, making it useless outside of its legitimate home. Encryption and decryption can be don by the disk itself (“SED” = “Self-Encrypting Drive”). This is common knowledge, but vendors differ, how sophisticated they manage access control.

El cifrado en reposo es sólo una porción de la seguridad, para asegurar la integridad de los datos en desuso. Además, de cifrarlo de esta forma, agregaría utilizar una herramienta de cifrado PGP, que me asegure aplicar una capa adicional de seguridad a mis comunicaciones electrónicas y archivos. Pues la combinación de una gestión de claves sólida y la tecnología de cifrado PGP contribuye a garantizar la confidencialidad y autenticidad de mis datos, fortaleciendo así mi enfoque de seguridad integral.

The most popular encription method for interent connection is VPN - virtual private network. Nowadays, when we work remotely this technic is a must to safely conntect with the company resource located somewhere in cloud.

We can encrypt data at rest by - Using secure Communication Protocols - Enabling HTTPS for Web Traffic - Using VPN (Virtual Private Network) - Implementing IPsec - Utilizing Encrypted Email Communication - Encrypting File Transfers - Regularly Updating and Patching Systems

To encrypt data in transit: 1. Use SSL/TLS for secure web connections. 2. Employ a VPN to encrypt data over public networks. 3. Choose email services with end-to-end encryption. 4. Use messaging apps that offer end-to-end encryption. 5. Transfer files using secure protocols like SFTP or HTTPS.

Secure data in transit with these steps: HTTPS: Ensure secure web communication. VPN: Establish encrypted internet connections. SSL/TLS: Implement for secure web connections. SSH: Encrypt data for remote access. Email Security: Choose STARTTLS for encrypted emails. End-to-End Encryption: Secure messaging processes. SFTP: Use for encrypted file transfers. Network Devices: Employ encryption-enabled devices. Regular Updates: Keep software current for optimal security. These practices protect data during transmission.

Securing data in transit requires 3 levels of security configuration. 1. Socket level security that means securing source and target sockets, which established communication channels between 2 systtems. - SSL 2. Session level Security that means securing data theft by unauthorised session users, normally called as man in middle. - Tokens or cookies (authentication) 3. Transport layer security then means securing data while it moves from source to Target socket or vice versa. - TLS If these are taken care of then data is secure in transit.

"Like many other challenges in security, encryption should not be approached solely from a technical standpoint. Instead, it should begin with considerations on how to manage data, establishing governance and associated processes. It's essential to first assess the importance, sensitivity, and location of the data you intend to protect and clearly understand which encryption methods and compensating controls, aside from encryption, that offer a high ROSI (e.g., Time to consider PQC candidate? ^^). A comprehensive approach is necessary as organizations often start this major initiative without prior deliberation on data governance, leading to limited application of encryption, to only a subset of critical enterprise assets."

The powerful processing of quantum computers represents a major future challenge to current encryption algorithms, which could be broken by brute force attacks. Fortunately, post-quantum algorithms are being developed that could be used to protect information.

Exiten diversos ataques a los principales algoritmos que se usan para el cifrado. Es importante tener un control de que algoritmos se pueden usar y cuales han quedado obsoletos. Por ejemplo, SSL se reemplazó por TLS. Así mismo, TLS 1.1 ya no es seguro y ha quedado obsoleto.

We are putting all our faith in a supply chain of organisations we can't validate, that encryption is actually working as described. How many organisations actually take the time to examine and test their encrypted data to confirm it is unbreakable. Encryption is best used as part of an overall defence in depth strategy, rather than over relied on. In addition key storage in the cloud has challenges wether using a bring your own key BYOK or a cloud key management service KMS , each requires the key to be stored in a cloud provider managed store which the cloud employees will have access to.

Encryption does bring a number of challenges. First and foremost key management is vital to ensure effectiveness of encryption, but difficult and open to attack, often theough simple social engineering. Secondly, encryption becomes least effective as compute power and availability increases. Adapting to this challenge is difficult especially with latge quantum of data. Thirdly, confidentiality is often at odds with law enforcement which requires weakening of encryption mechanisms with backdoora and bypass mechanisms. Lastly, loss of data is a risk in cases where encryption keys or passwords are lost, defeating the purpose of confidentiality by making the data inaccessible to those who should have access to it.

One should never roll their own encryption. Encryption algorithms, like AES or RSA, have been thoroughly tested and analysed. These algorithms are considered strong because they have stood up to intense scrutiny and attempts to break them.

To enhance your encryption strategy, focus on regularly updating encryption algorithms and implementing strong key management practices, including regular key rotations. Educate employees about secure practices and the importance of encryption. Adopt a multi-layered approach, encrypting data both at rest and in transit for comprehensive protection. Regularly conduct audits and security tests to identify and address vulnerabilities. Additionally, ensure your strategy aligns with relevant data protection regulations and industry standards.

Upgrade your devices to support the strongest encryption algorithms and remove all weak ones. Add encryption to all data states, data-in-motion, data-at-transit, data -at-rest. Use a centralized server to store your encryption keys after applying security and hardening measures to that server. Don’t ever store the encryption keys at the same server where your data stored

You absolutely need effective KPIs. How many lost/stolen devices were reported to your SOC? What's the trend over time? How many devices were procured over a period of time vs. returned per company policy? What happens to old devices (and the data on them)? How do you measure that? A mature encryption service creates data segregation and has a retirement plan for it.

Apostaría por utilizar blockchain o algo como Temcrypt, que es un mecanismo avanzado de cifrado evolutivo de datos multicapa que ofrece complejidad escalable a lo largo del tiempo y es resistente a los ataques comunes de fuerza bruta.

When storing or transmitting sensitive data, it is crucial to protect it using strong encryption. This helps ensure only authorised parties can access the information. For data at rest, such as files stored on servers or in databases, AES-256 encryption should be applied. AES-256 is considered very secure as it uses a 256-bit encryption key, making the encrypted data nearly impossible to decrypt without the proper key. This helps protect data from unauthorised access even if storage devices are lost or stolen. For data in transit, such as when transmitting information over the internet, SSL/TLS encryption should be implemented.

Encryption in security is vital for confidentiality, data integrity, and authentication. It prevents unauthorized access, ensures secure key exchange, and safeguards against man-in-the-middle attacks. Mandatory for compliance, encryption protects sensitive transactions, upholds privacy, and mitigates risks in an ever-present landscape of cyber threats.

Many organizations avoid encryption improvements because they do not understand what they have. They believe all encryption is the same and that they"Have it." Unfortunately they don't which is a reason why we see so many data breaches. This stems from the early days of crypto implementations commercially. I.T. implements database or application encryption, it slows down or breaks systems and I.T. Gets angry calls from Exec's, customers, and co-workers. The negative feedback loop has trained folks to avoid the "E" word. We continue to see huge spends on perimeter security and the breaches continue. Properly implemented encryption will protect the data even if stolen without impacting performance or breaking the user experience.

Conclusion: for a data security process or environment to maintain PCI of data (Privacy, Confidentiality and Integrity not Payment Card Industry ??) , encryption must be an integral part of all security strategies in an organisation.

Encryption doesn't prevent the exfiltration of data, if the encryption process is properly implemented then encryption prevents unauthorized exposure of the protected data. The article's title specifies a "data breach" which is a legal determination that triggers various reporting and incident response actions. Use caution when describing a cyber or privacy event.