Data Encryption Strategies: Keeping Sensitive Information Safe from Breaches
Introduction
Data breaches exposing customer details, intellectual property & other sensitive information can devastate organisations. Adopting strong data encryption strategies provides an essential safeguard by rendering stolen data unreadable without the decryption key.
This comprehensive journal covers best practices for implementing encryption across data storage, transfers, email, devices & networks. Follow these tips to protect critical business & customer data effectively.
The Growing Threat of Data Breaches
Hackers & malicious insiders steal over one (1) billion personal records each year according to Varonis. Major data breaches like the 2017 Equifax incident expose highly sensitive info including:
- Personally identifiable information (PII) like names, dates of birth, SSNs
- Payment card data
- Medical & health records
- Intellectual Property [IP] like proprietary source code
- Confidential corporate data & communications
Besides financial & identity theft risks, data breaches inflict severe reputational damage & customer distrust. Data encryption serves as the last line of defence to prevent usable information from falling into the wrong hands.
How Encryption Safeguards Data
Encryption converts information into scrambled ciphertext that is impossible to read without the decryption key. Authorized parties can access the original data with the key, while unauthorized parties see only meaningless jumbled characters.
Even if encrypted data is stolen, cybercriminals cannot monetize or leverage the information. Powerful encryption applied properly renders data breaches ineffective.
Different types of encryption include:
- Symmetric encryption uses the same key to encrypt & decrypt data.
- Asymmetric encryption uses matched public & private keys.
- Hashing creates a unique fixed-length digest of data that cannot be reversed.
Multilayered encryption provides nested protection across data stores, transfers & applications.
Developing a Comprehensive Encryption Strategy
A strategic approach to encryption should involve:
- Categorizing data sensitivity levels
- Selecting optimal encryption types for each use case
- Securing keys for robust management
- Encrypting data in transit & at rest
- Enforcing encryption through technical controls
- Maintaining user accessibility & uptime
- Planning for emergency access procedures
- Monitoring policy & protocol compliance
Balance security with usability to avoid business disruption. Test layered defences regularly. Here are the best practices for data protection:
Encrypting Data at Rest
Data at rest refers to inactive data stored on servers, databases, end-user devices, backups & in the cloud. Follow these tips:
- Deploy disk & file encryption for data on endpoints & servers like laptops.
- Enable database encryption features for records & columns with sensitive data.
- Use encrypted storage volumes, drives & file containers.
- Encrypt virtual machine images & snapshots.
- Encrypt backups via software & hardware encryption on media like tapes.
- Evaluate encryption offerings from Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) for cloud data.
- Maintain minimal access to encrypted data stores.
Solutions like BitLocker, VeraCrypt, LUKS & TrueCrypt protect data at rest across devices.
Encrypting Data in Motion
Encrypting data in motion (transit encryption) safeguards transfers:
- Mandate encrypted connections like HTTPS, SFTP, SSH & TLS across applications.
- Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to establish secure channels for remote access.
- Encrypt wireless traffic & connections.
- Enable encrypted messaging services & protocols.
- Encrypt broadcasts between servers & data centres.
Tools like OpenSSL, OpenVPN, S/MIME & Signal provide strong transmission encryption.
Encrypting Email
Email frequently contains sensitive data like customer Personally identifiable information (PII), invoices & corporate communications & yet often lacks encryption. Solutions like S/MIME & PGP enable users to:
- Encrypt email content & attachments end-to-end
- Digitally sign messages for sender authentication
- Decrypt messages received using private keys
Enforce encryption for data-sensitive emails in policies. Provide key management support.
Encrypting End-User Devices
With remote work expanding attack surfaces, encrypting employee laptops, phones & external media is critical:
- Deploy endpoint & device encryption tools like BitLocker that encrypt entire drives seamlessly.
- Encrypt portions of drives containing sensitive data via file/folder encryption.
- Mandate encrypted mobile device storage via Mobile Device Management (MDM) profiles.
- Set devices to lock after short idle periods, requiring passcode entry.
- Establish encryption requirements for external media like USB drives.
Combined with remote wipe capabilities, device encryption limits data exposure if equipment is lost or stolen.
Tokenization as Alternative to Encryption
For data like payment card numbers, tokenization serves as an alternative to encryption that converts PANs to randomised surrogate values (tokens). Benefits include:
- Tokens have no exploitable value for attackers.
- Tokens can be safely stored in lower-security systems like log files.
- De-tokenization only occurs in limited use cases like processing transactions.
- Reduces compliance burden of storing original PAN data.
Tokenization provides effective protection for recurring data elements like customer payment details.
Key Management Challenges & Strategies
Managing encryption keys introduces new access risks & logistical challenges:
- Securely generate, distribute & rotate encryption keys.
- Prevent unauthorised access by privileged users like DBAs.
- Orchestrate key changes across systems & apps when employees leave.
- Provide segmented access to keys only for authorised purposes.
- Recover data if keys are corrupted or lost.
- Maintain audit trails to detect misuse of keys.
HSM modules & secure key management platforms help overcome these hurdles.
Storing Keys Securely
- Use Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) to generate & store keys.
- Restrict key access via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), audit logs, strict Access Control Lists (ACLs) & separation of duties.
- Create key backups via sharding & multi-person controls.
- Destroy keys completely when no longer needed.
Distributing Keys Safely
- Transmit keys over encrypted channels only.
- Avoid exposing keys in code repositories, logs & databases.
- Implement secure protocols like TLS, SSH & SSL for key transfer.
- Utilise key hierarchies & derivation techniques to avoid large-scale key changes.
Managing Keys Effectively
- Document key locations, purposes, ownership & rotation schedules.
- Rotate encryption keys periodically to limit exposure.
- Change keys immediately if compromised or when employees leave.
- Monitor keys proactively for misuse via access logs & alerts.
With the right controls & oversight, encryption keys can be managed securely throughout their lifecycle.
User Accessibility Considerations
While critical for security, encryption also introduces potential user experience hurdles:
- File access delays due to real-time decryption
- Forgotten passphrases prevent data recovery
- Compatibility issues across devices & protocols
- Lockout if keys are lost
- Reduced visibility for DLP controls
Mitigate through thoughtful design like:
- Silent, seamless encryption & decryption
- Secure key escrow procedures
- Strong passphrase reset options
- Supporting common use cases & integrations
- Caching & indexing decrypted data for performance
Test usability thoroughly before rollout to smooth adoption.
Encryption Compliance Considerations
Data encryption is mandated by several compliance standards & regulations:
- PCI DSS requires strong cryptography & key management protections.
- HIPAA demands PHI data to be encrypted at rest & in motion.
- State privacy laws like CCPA impose encryption duties to safeguard personal data.
- GDPR makes encryption a key data protection principle for personal data.
- NIST frameworks provide encryption best practices for US federal agencies.
Monitor emerging global laws regarding encryption use cases, algorithms & strengths to remain compliant.
Cryptography Maturity Measurement
Organisations should assess current encryption practices across these dimensions:
- Data discovery & classification
- Encryption policies & protocols
- Key generation, distribution & rotation
- Encrypted data storage locations
- Encryption of data in transit
- User key management & accessibility
- Legal compliance status
- Audit logging & anomaly detection
This methodology identifies gaps & next steps to systematically advance encryption maturity.
Key Takeaways
Implementing robust data encryption limits damage from accelerating data breaches. Key lessons include:
- Encryption converts data into unreadable ciphertext that is accessible only with a secret key.
- Comprehensive strategies encrypt sensitive data in motion, at rest, on devices & via email.
- Balance usability, performance & accessibility along with strong controls.
- Tokenization provides encryption alternatives for elements like payment card data.
- Secure generation, distribution & management of encryption keys is critical.
- Measure current posture to incrementally improve cryptography maturity.
Encryption serves as the last line of defence once perimeter protections fail. With a proactive strategy, organisations can render data breaches ineffective by keeping information safe even in attackers’ hands.