What Is Data Encryption: Types, Algorithms, Techniques and Methods

Data encryption is a popular and effective security approach that is an excellent alternative for safeguarding an organization's data. However, there are a variety of encryption methods to select from, so how do you decide?
 
In a world where cybercrime is on the rise, it's reassuring to know that there are just as many ways to safeguard network security as there are ways to breach it. The actual challenge is determining which approaches an internet security professional should use to best meet their company's needs.

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1. What is Data Encryption in Network Security?

The process of changing data from a readable format to a scrambled piece of information is known as data encryption. This is done to keep inquisitive eyes from reading sensitive information while it is in transit. Documents, data, messages, and any other type of network communication can all be encrypted.
Encryption is a critical tool for maintaining the integrity of our data, and its importance cannot be emphasized. Almost everything we view on the internet, whether it's web pages or apps, has gone through some level of encryption.
They go on to state that encryption is a fundamental component of data security that is extensively employed by large corporations, small enterprises, and individual customers. It's the simplest and most important method of safeguarding data that moves between computers.
 

2. How Does Data Encryption Work?

Plaintext or cleartext refers to data that does not need to be encrypted. The plaintext must be sent via some encryption methods, which are mathematical operations that must be performed on raw data. There are a variety of encryption methods, each with its own application and security rating.
 
Aside from the algorithms, an encryption key is also required. The plaintext is turned into the encrypted piece of data, also known as ciphertext, using the stated key and an appropriate encryption technique. The ciphertext is sent across insecure methods of communication rather than the plaintext to the receiver.
The intended receiver can employ a decryption key to transform the ciphertext back to its original readable format, plaintext, once it reaches him. This decryption key must be kept secret at all times, and it may or may not be the same as the encryption key.

3. Why Do We Need Data Encryption?

Keep these four arguments in mind if you're wondering why businesses should use encryption:
 
Authentication: Public key encryption establishes that the origin server of a website possesses the private key and was thus lawfully granted an SSL certificate. This is a vital feature in a world where there are so many bogus websites.
 
Privacy: Encryption ensures that only the intended recipient or data owner may read messages or access data. This safeguard stops cybercriminals, hackers, ISPs, spammers, and even government agencies from accessing and reading personal information.

Regulatory Compliance: Many sectors and government agencies have requirements requiring firms that operate with people's personal information to encrypt it. HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and the GDPR are just a few examples of regulatory and compliance standards that enforce encryption.

Security: Whether the data is in transit or at rest, encryption helps secure it from data breaches. Even if a corporate-owned device is lost or stolen, the data stored on it is likely to be secure if the hard disc is adequately secured. Encryption also protects data from hostile actions such as man-in-the-middle assaults and allows parties to communicate without worrying about data leaks.
 

4. What are the 2 Types of Data Encryption Techniques?

There are a variety of data encryption methods to choose from. The majority of internet security (IS) experts divide encryption into three types: symmetric, asymmetric, and hashing. These are further subdivided into many categories. We'll go over each one individually.
 
What is Symmetric Encryption and How Does It Work?
This method, also known as private-key cryptography or a secret key algorithm, necessitates the sender and receiver having access to the same key. Before the message can be decoded, the recipient must have the key. Closed systems with a low danger of third-party intrusion perform best with this strategy.
Symmetric encryption, on the other hand, is faster than asymmetric encryption. On the downside, both parties must ensure that the key is safely held and accessible only to the software that requires it.

What exactly is asymmetric encryption?
This technology, also known as public-key cryptography, encrypts data using two keys: a public and a private key that are mathematically connected. The user uses one key for encryption and the other for decryption, albeit which comes first is irrelevant.
The public key, as the name implies, is freely available to everybody, whereas the private key is only available to the intended receivers who require it to decrypt the messages. Both keys are just huge numbers that aren't identical but are coupled with one another, hence the "asymmetric" aspect.
 

5. What is Hashing?

Hashing creates a fixed-length unique signature for a data set or communication. Each message has its own hash, allowing minor changes to the data to be easily tracked. Data that is hashed cannot be decrypted or reversed back to its original form. As a result, hashing is limited to data verification.
 
Although many internet security experts do not regard hashing to be a true encryption technology, the distinction is sufficiently vague to allow the classification to stand. In the end, it's a good approach to demonstrate that the data hasn't been tampered with.
  Asymmetric and symmetric encryption are the two forms of encryption commonly used today. The name comes from the fact that encryption and decryption are done with the same key.