Data Encryption : Concept & Tools

What is Data encryption?

The translation of data into a secret code. Encryption is the most effective way to achieve data security. To read an encrypted file, you must have access to a secret key or password that enables you to decrypt it. Unencrypted data is called plain text ; encrypted data is referred to as cipher text.

There are two main types of encryption: asymmetric encryption (also called public-key encryption) and symmetric encryption.

What is Data in Transit?

Data in transit, or data in motion, is data actively moving from one location to another such as across the internet or through a private network. Data protection in transit is the protection of this data while it’s traveling from network to network or being transferred from a local storage device to a cloud storage device — wherever data is moving, effective data protection measures for in transit data are critical as data is often considered less secure while in motion.

What is Data in Rest?

Data at rest is data that is not actively moving from device to device or network to network such as data stored on a hard drive, laptop, flash drive, or archived/stored in some other way. Data protection at rest aims to secure inactive data stored on any device or network. While data at rest is sometimes considered to be less vulnerable than data in transit, attackers often find data at rest a more valuable target than data in motion. The risk profile for data in transit or data at rest depends on the security measures that are in place to secure data in either state.

Data Encryption tools

We cautiously curated and set up together the absolute best free encryption programming instruments you can use to keep your most important information protected and secure.

1. LastPass

Presumably a standout amongst the most prominent secret key administrator apparatuses out there, LastPass can be utilized for nothing with constrained highlights, however will in any case secure your passwords and individual information. Utilizing an encryption programming device like this one, you’ll never again need to recollect or take note of a secret key in a journal or some other physical spot.

LastPass accompanies a simple to-utilize and natural interface and can improve things for you. There are expansions accessible for the primary internet browsers, for example, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Likewise, you can utilize the versatile application accessible for both Android and Apple.

When you make another online record, it offers the alternative to spare the new qualifications.

This apparatus urges you to set an exceptional and difficult to break secret word and debilitates clients to reuse it. In case you’re utilizing a similar secret key for various records, it just suggests choosing an alternate secret key.

Other secret word the executives instruments you can utilize Sticky Password or RoboForm accompany a natural and simple to-utilize interface and can give great secret key security.

To securely oversee passwords, we urge clients to pursue these security steps incorporated into this guide and utilize the utilization two-factor confirmation framework, at whatever point conceivable.

2. BitLocker

Source: Windows Central

While there are numerous encryption instruments accessible you can use to scramble your information locally, most clients want to utilize Microsoft’s BitLocker programming. You can either utilize it to scramble a specific plate segment or the whole hard circle.

BitLocker is a full-circle encryption device worked in the most recent Windows working frameworks (Windows 10), which uses AES (128 and 256-piece) encryption to encode information on the drives.

The Advanced Encryption Standard has been tried and improved and is presently utilized worldwide by the most security sellers because of its abnormal state of security and streamlining.

Why you ought to pick BitLocker:

Simple to utilize and it’s as of now coordinated into your Windows working framework, so there’s no compelling reason to include another encryption programming;

It’s a free information encryption programming apparatus you can use to counteract information ruptures and information exfiltration from your hard plate.

It encodes your whole drive, which makes it unimaginable for pernicious on-screen characters taking your workstation to evacuate the hard drive and access your documents.

At the point when BitLocker Drive Encryption is actuated, and you include new documents, BitLocker will encode them naturally.

In any case, as an encryption innovation incorporated with Microsoft, it’s been an objective for scientists searching for blemishes in well known devices utilized by individuals. That is the reason a specialist had the option to locate another and moderately basic way that Windows BitLocker encryption keys can be sniffed in less secure designs as they travel from Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) during boot.”

3. VeraCrypt

Another free encryption programming instrument you can utilize which is accessible for Windows, OS X and Linux working frameworks.

Much the same as BitLocker, it supports Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and can cover up encoded volumes inside different volumes. It is an open source program which means designers and specialists can download and utilize the source code.

Source: GHacks.net

This encryption software is a great alternative to TrueCrypt tool and is constantly getting improvements and security enhancements. VeraCrypt 1.24, the upcoming next version of VeraCrypt is currently available for beta tests and can be downloaded from here.

The new version is expected to come with lots of security and functionality improvements to better secure users’ data.

4. DiskCryptor

One more open-source and free encryption programming you can use to verify your interior and outer drive, including framework segment, and even ISO pictures, or USB glimmer drives or some other stockpiling gadgets.

Much the same as BitLocker, it is a full-plate encryption device for Windows OS and incorporates different encryption calculations, for example, AES, Twofish, and Serpent. The interface is basic and instinctive, you should simply choose the drive and snap on “Encode” to secure your information.

5. HTTP Everywhere

Scrambling your records isn’t sufficient. To be one stage in front of cybercriminals, you have to upgrade online assurance, you have to ensure nobody can listen in on your correspondence over the Internet.

To ensure you generally access secure website pages that utilization encryption systems, we suggest attempting a program expansion like HTTPS Everywhere, which is perfect with Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome.

The augmentation was made as a coordinated effort among EFF and Tor Project, and naturally changes from unbound locales utilizing “HTTP” to verify “https”.

Utilizing an augmentation like HTTPS Everywhere, which encodes your correspondence with significant sites you access regularly, will make your online exercises progressively secure from different online dangers.