Cyber Security Technology:Data Encryption

Data Encryption
Encryption is a cyber security technology used to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information stored on or transmitted between computers. Encryption software solutions (Checkpoint, DESlock and XTool etc...) automatically obscure digital files and make them unreadable to unauthorized users. The software allows authorized users to automatically de-encrypt files for use with appropriate applications. The use of these solutions is transparent to users and provides a vital infrastructure service similar to electricity or gas.

The worth of encryption is a significant issue for the modern enterprise. In the early days of computing, digital resources were under an organization’s strict control. The Internet did not exist yet and the transfer of digital files to computers outside an organization’s sphere of control did not occur. Today, digital information can go anywhere easily. Previously, most cyber-security precautions have focused on preventing hackers and criminals from accessing sensitive computing resources via the network perimeter or endpoints. Now enterprises must also address the risk of losing portable computing devices that contains sensitive data.

Surveys indicate that up to 60 percent of information theft results from lost or stolen equipment. Every laptop, PC, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable music player, flash memory stick, external hard drive, smart phone, or any other mobile device that can store data is a potential weak point. It is impossible to always control who has possession of or transfers confidential files onto mobile devices. But, access to that information can always be controlled— with encryption. For more information visit http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-dataencr.html