By IT Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
A key element of data security, encryption is the process of transforming human-readable plain text (often rendered as “plaintext” within the cryptography community) into ciphertext, which often appears as a seemingly random jumble of letters and/or numbers. This renders information inaccessible to unauthorized users; meanwhile, anyone with the right cryptographic key can unscramble the data back into plain text.
Encryption is a crucial part of IT operations, and many IT professionals are concerned with the best ways to effectively encrypt data both in transit and at rest. There are two types of encryption:
- Asymmetric encryption: This type relies on two separate keys for encryption and decryption. A public key is used for encryption, but only a private key will enable a user to decrypt a particular message or file. Common asymmetric encryption methods include elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC) and the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA).
- Symmetric encryption: The same key is used for encryption and decryption. While this means fewer compute resources are needed to encrypt and decrypt, anyone with access to the key—authorized or unauthorized—can access the data. Common methods of symmetric encryption include the Data Encryption Standard (DES), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and Twofish.
Although encryption is generally used to protect data, it can also be used for nefarious purposes. For example, ransomware attackers will encrypt a victim’s hard drive and demand money in return for the key to unlock valuable data. Managing cryptographic keys can also prove time-consuming for already-overloaded IT professionals.
Last but certainly not least, IT pros need to look toward the quantum future: If some experts’ predictions prove correct, quantum computers will be able to quickly break most modern encryption; how that problem will be solved is so far anyone’s guess.
