All organizations deal with information – from customer data to trade secrets. These are essential in running the business and ensuring that customer requirements and company standards are met. However, as valuable as these information are to organizations, so it is with hackers. Cybercriminals continue to come up with ingenious means of accessing classified, sensitive data. Thus, there should be countermeasures implemented to ensure that there is protection of information.
A security tool that has proven to be effective is data encryption. It is the process of modifying data so that it becomes inaccessible and indecipherable for anyone unless its user has the “key” to unlock it and revert to its original form.
It is also for this reason that some employees find it to be an annoyance because they would have to execute more steps than usual just to open files. There are also instances that they forget their encryption key. However, with attacks coming frequently, and usually, unexpectedly, the additional processes are worth the effort and time.
Hackers typically use malware to enter into workstations and networks and steal data, including files. But these malware still have no ability to decrypt information, making it extremely difficult for the perpetrators to find value in the stolen data.
Furthermore, businesses are becoming more mobile nowadays, with executives and employees opting to use laptops and smartphone so they could work from remote locations. Falling prey to thieve can also leave confidential data vulnerable if they had not been protected with encryption.
Richard Blech is the CEO of Secure Channels, a company that provides data protection and security solutions. For similar reads, subscribe to this blog.
Richard Blech 
