Why firms should encrypt data

By Muthoga Kioni

The last time we discussed encryption we examined its role in enhancing personal privacy. We now deal with why organisations should employ encryption in their security framework.

The current depressed global economy has resulted in a burgeoning market for stolen data.

Companies have been slow to use encryption because it was hard to set up and would slow network performance. The primary fear was that if a company used encryption on critical data and something went wrong, the data would be irretrievable.

These concerns were justified but are no longer relevant.

Enterprise encryption software is now easy to deploy and maintain. First, establish how critical data flows through and out of the company. Locate where this data resides and identify who has or can gain access to the data. Deploying encryption in these areas then becomes easier.

Encrypted data was used to compromise network performance when encryption technology was in its infancy. Today’s solutions extensively use background processing to minimise their impact on the network.

Decryption is easy

It is no longer complicated to manage enterprise encryption solutions since they are centralised and fundamentally simplify the oversight and administration functions.

Encryption does not limit access to data. It will only do so if you encrypt your database without carefully examining the enterprise use patterns. Determine which critical applications are accessing the database most often. This will help you optimize your encryption solution to remove any bottlenecks or access delays.

Encryption finally invokes one doomsday dread. This is where a technical or staffing problem makes it impossible to decrypt your data. Imagine if the IT manager suddenly leaves the organisation in a huff.

Enterprise encryption will not leave you in such a lurch. There are double-authentications, which require more than one person to access the key. If the key somehow becomes unavailable, use the built-in restoration tool to decrypt the data. And with the numerous checks and balances in the software, any encrypted data can be decrypted and restored without resorting to expensive external consultation.

Encryption is necessary for any company that handles customer details and other critical data. There should be no fear in using this crucial defence tool.

The writer is an ICT Security and Forensic Specialist. Email: bmuthoga@hotmail.com