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Tag: HSM

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Data Protection

Cryptographic Key Management: Learn How to Protect Yourself

Hardware Security Module (HSM) basically consists of a physical device that provides extra security for sensitive data. This type of device is used to take care of cryptographic key management for critical functions such as encryption, decryption and authentication for the use of applications, identities and databases.

Companies can use an HSM to protect trade secrets with significant value. This ensures that only authorized individuals can access the device and use the key stored on it.

Responsible for performing cryptographic operations and Cryptographic Key Management

HSM solutions are designed to meet stringent government and regulatory standards and often have strong access controls and role-based privilege models.

Designed specifically for fast cryptographic operations and resistant to logical and physical tampering, adopting an HSM is the most secure way to perform cryptographic key management. However, its use is not so practical and requires additional software.

The use of HSM should be standard practice for any highly regulated organization, thus preventing these companies from losing business from customers such as the government, financial and healthcare systems, which require strong protection controls for all data considered sensitive in their operations.

It is also important for companies that adopt, as part of their strategies, the care not to take risks due to lack of necessary protection, these being able to tarnish the image of the organization.

Best practices and uses of the HSM

The use of HSMs can provide improved cryptographic throughput and result in a more secure and efficient architecture for your business.

HSM becomes a vital component in a security architecture, which not only minimizes business risks but also achieves top performance in cryptographic operations.

Some of the best practices and use cases for HSMs used by leading security practitioners are as follows:

Storage of certificate authority keys

The security of certificate authority (CA) keys is most critical in a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). If a CA key is compromised, the security of the entire infrastructure is at risk.

CA keys are primarily stored in dedicated HSMs to provide protection against tampering and disclosure against unauthorized entities. This can be done even for internal CAs.

Storage and management of application keys

Cryptography, considered essential in many businesses, is also helped by the powerful performance of HSMs, doing an incredible job of minimizing performance impact of using asymmetric cryptography (public key cryptography) as they are optimized for the encryption algorithms.

A prime example of this is database encryption, where high latency per transaction cannot be tolerated. But don’t forget to encrypt only what is necessary, so your solution won’t spend time on non-sensitive information.

Encryption operations

Encryption operations are sometimes time consuming and can slow down applications. HSMs have dedicated and powerful cryptographic processors that can simultaneously perform thousands of cryptographic operations.

They can be effectively used by offloading cryptographic operations from application servers.

Full audit trails, logging and user authorization

HSMs should keep the record of cryptographic operations such as key management, encryption, decryption, digital signature and hashing according to the date and time the operation was performed. The process of recording events involves the authenticity and protection of the time source.

Modification of the date and time settings interface requires strong authentication by a smart card or at least two people to sanction or authorize this task.

Destruction of keys in case of attacks

HSMs follow strict safety requirements. The most important content for an HSM is the keys. In the event of a physical or logical attack, they reset or erase all your keys so they don’t fall into the wrong hands.

The HSM should “reset” itself, deleting all sensitive data if it detects any undue tampering. This prevents an attacker who has gained access to the device from gaining access to the protected keys.

The full lifecycle of keys

NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a non-regulatory agency of the US Department of Commerce, defines the encryption key lifecycle as 4 main stages of operation: pre-operational, operational, post-operational and deletion, and requires that, among other things, an operational encryption period be defined for each key. For more details, click here and see from page 84 to page 110.

Therefore, a cryptographic period is the “time interval during which a specific key is authorized for use”.

In addition, the cryptographic period is determined by combining the estimated time during which encryption will be applied to the data, including the period of use and the period in which it will be decrypted for use.

Long-term encryption

But after all, since an organization may reasonably want to encrypt and decrypt the same data for years on end, other factors may come into play when considering the cryptographic period:

You can for example limit it to:

  • Amount of information protected by a given key;
  • Amount of exposure if a single key is compromised;
  • Time available for physical, procedural and logical access attempts;
  • Period within which information may be compromised by inadvertent disclosure.

This can be boiled down to a few key questions:

  • For how long will the data be used?
  • How is the data being used?
  • How much data is there?
  • What is the sensitivity of the data?
  • How much damage will be caused if data is exposed or keys lost?

So the general rule is: as the sensitivity of the protected data increases, the lifetime of an encryption key decreases.

Given this, we see that your encryption key may have a shorter active life than an authorized user’s access to the data. This means that you will need to archive deactivated keys and use them only for decryption.

Once the data has been decrypted by the old key, it will be encrypted by the new key and over time the old key will no longer be used to encrypt/decrypt data and can be deleted.

Life cycle management of cryptographic keys using HSM

It has often been said that the most difficult part of cryptography is key management. This is because the discipline of cryptography is a mature science where most of the major issues have been addressed.

On the other hand, key management is considered recent, subject to individual design and preference rather than objective facts.

An excellent example of this is the extremely diverse approaches HSM manufacturers have taken to implementing their key management, which eventually led to the development of another product line, Ciphertrust. It has several features of HSMs and others that are unique, such as anonymization and authorization for example.

However, there have been many cases where HSM manufacturers have allowed some insecure practices to go unnoticed, resulting in vulnerabilities that have compromised the lifecycle of cryptographic keys.

Therefore, when looking for an HSM to manage full lifecycle, secure and general purpose, it is essential to inspect those that have excellent customer references, long deployment life and quality certifications.

HSM in a nutshell

To summarize, an HSM is typically a server with different levels of security protection or simply “protection” that prevents breaches or loss. We can summarize it like this:

  • Tamper-evident: addition of tamper-evident coatings or seals on bolts or latches on all removable lids or doors.
  • Tamper resistant: adding “tamper detection/response circuitry” that erases all sensitive data.
  • Tamper proof: complete module hardening with tamper evident/resistant screws and locks, together with the highest sensitivity “tamper detection/response circuit” that erases all sensitive data

With many organizations moving some or all of their operations to the cloud, the need to move their security to this architecture has also emerged.

The good news is that many of the leading HSM manufacturers have developed solutions to install traditional HSMs in cloud environments.

Therefore, the same levels of “protection” will apply as we have a traditional HSM in a cloud environment.

Learn more about the use of HSM in cryptographic key management in our blog and find out how to apply encryption technology effectively in your business by contacting Eval’s experts.

We are available to answer your questions and help you define the best ways to protect your organization against data leakage and theft.

About Eval

A Eval está há mais de 18 anos desenvolvendo projetos nos segmentos financeiro, saúde, educação e indústria. Desde 2004, oferecemos soluções de Autenticação, Assinatura Eletrônica e Digital e Proteção de Dados. Atualmente, estamos presentes nos principais bancos brasileiros, instituições de saúde, escolas e universidades, além de diferentes indústrias. 

Com valor reconhecido pelo mercado, as soluções e serviços da Eval atendem aos mais altos padrões regulatórios das organizações públicas e privadas, tais como o SBIS, ITI, PCI DSS, e a Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD). Na prática, promovemos a segurança da informação e o compliance, o aumento da eficiência operacional das empresas, além da redução de custos. 

Inove agora, lidere sempre: conheça as soluções e serviços da Eval e leve sua empresa para o próximo nível. 

Eval, segurança é valor. 

Categories
Data Protection

Key Management with Cryptography, how to protect data?

In recent years, suppliers in the data storage market have started to pay more attention to the use of the Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) in their solutions for integration with encryption key managers.

There are two main reasons for this. The need to comply with data protection regulations is an important reason.

There are also the benefits of Enterprise Key Management (EKM) solutions for companies.

Find out what these benefits are in this article.

Application of good practices in information security

The definition of what is adequate or sufficient to meet regulatory demands about protecting data varies greatly between companies.

Many solutions offer internal support for key management with encryption. Depending on the context, this may be enough.

However, adopting this model could compromise data security. After all, we must consider that the encryption key responsible for protecting them is embedded in the storage solution itself.

In addition, it is common to find scenarios with different storage solution providers, where each one programs their key management models with encryption.

This can lead to human error and compromise data availability in the event of an unsuccessful encryption operation.

The use of an external key management solution provides adequate segregation of roles. It also offers a standardized model for all encryption processes.

In addition, these solutions usually offer international certifications for the implementation of encryption algorithms. This prevents, for example, the use of algorithms or key sizes that are considered weak.

On the Owasp website you can find a very interesting cryptography guide, in which it is not recommended to use the MD-5, SHA-0, SHA-1 hash algorithms and the DES symmetric encryption algorithm.

In addition, key management solutions with encryption can be coupled with equipment designed to provide protection with a high level of security.

For example, Hardware Secure Modules(HSMs) and Enterprise Key Management(EKM). Protection is thus centralized for all the organization’s data storage systems.

Efficient Key Management with Cryptography

Typically, solutions that offer encryption capabilities don’t worry about the lifecycle of a key. Thus, they ignore, for example, validity, activation, deactivation, exchange with preservation of already encrypted processes and destruction.

Using the same encryption key for a long time is inappropriate. After all, this compromises security in the event of a data leak.

A management solution not only provides the necessary requirements for the entire key lifecycle. After all, it also presents these features in a user-friendly interface, from a centralized console.

It even defines access profiles based on integration with a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) database.

Flexibility of Implementation and Key Management with Cryptography

The decision to keep applications on your own infrastructure or migrate to an external data center depends on several factors.

If the key management solution with encryption is coupled with the storage system, the decision to keep it in-house or migrate to the cloud must take this into account.

 

Ability to generate audit reports during key management with encryption

For these cases, it is necessary to offer information with a high level of trust and access to keys. In this way, you should detail who accessed it, the time of the event and the success or failure of the operation.

In addition, alert mechanisms can notify staff if problems arise with the key management equipment or other devices that communicate with the manager.

One of the main benefits of an external key management solution is its ability to enhance audit reports.

Trying to prove to an external compliance auditor that the keys are safe, secure and have strong access controls would be much more difficult with native storage, especially if there is more than one solution. This will also require all systems to be audited individually.

Segregation of profiles

External key management systems can define permissions for the administrators and users who will use the keys.

A common example of this is the ability to allow an administrator to create a key, but not be able to use it to encrypt or decrypt using LDAP or Active Directory (AD) user attributes.

Normally, the systems’ own cryptography does not have this level of granularity in the administrative functions. As a result, the storage administrator is also responsible for the key.

Variety of systems where sensitive data can be stored

From CRMs, File Systems, Virtual Machines, structured or unstructured databases, there is a possibility that there is information that needs encryption to avoid exposure in the event of a security breach.

Encrypted key management, with the ability to integrate with open protocols, provides the necessary resources to meet the needs of a wide range of environments.

There are at least four perspectives that can be addressed regarding the location of the data to be protected: file system, operating system, database and memory.

The effort to implement encryption increases in this order and exceeds the complexity, considering the variety of environments and systems in the end-to-end flow of the data to be protected.

As you may have realized, native encryption is not necessarily the best way to protect data. If you still have questions about this, leave them in the comments. We’ll be happy to answer your questions.

Sobre a Eval 

Eval has been developing projects in the financial, health, education, and industry segments for over 18 years. Since 2004, we have offered solutions for Authentication, Electronic and Digital Signature, and Data Protection. Currently, we are present in the main Brazilian banks, health institutions, schools and universities, and different industries.

With recognized value by the market, Eval’s solutions and services meet the highest regulatory standards for public and private organizations, such as SBIS, ITI, PCI DSS, and the General Law of Data Protection (LGPD). In practice, we promote information security and compliance, increase companies’ operational efficiency, and reduce costs.

Innovate now, lead always: get to know Eval’s solutions and services and take your company to the next level.

Eval, safety is value.

Categories
Data Protection

Data Loss Prevention: What You Need to Know

Data loss prevention is defined as the strategy used to guarantee information security so that digital and corporate users don’t send confidential or critical information outside a corporate network or even a home network.

The term also defines software that helps a network administrator control what data end users can transfer.

With the recent approval of the General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD), the Brazilian legislation that determines how the data of Brazilian citizens can be collected and processed, concern about the issue of data loss prevention will be even more prominent.

In this post, we’ve compiled the main information you need to clear up your doubts on the subject and take the next steps in protecting your company’s data.

Preventing data loss will have an impact on purchasing decisions

In the midst of the Digital Transformation era, where data and information have come to play a fundamental role in the purchasing process, preventing data loss has become a priority in protecting customers and the image of companies.

In this way, all it takes is a virtual attack or a security breach to result in data theft. This directly affects the credibility of the organization affected and the purchasing decisions of its customers.

Data loss prevention doesn’t just apply to large companies – it’s strategic for any business. Involving all sizes of companies and segments of activity. Being subject to cyber-attacks, hijackings and data theft has completely changed organizations’ view of information security. That’s why data protection has become part of any company’s business model.

Investment in Technology is Fundamental

Software products developed for data protection use business rules and policies to classify and protect confidential and critical information. They aim to prevent unauthorized end users from accidentally or otherwise sharing data that could pose a risk to the organization.

In practice, for example, if an employee tried to forward a business email outside the corporate domain or upload a file considered strategic to a cloud storage service such as Dropbox, Drive and so on, they would be denied permission.

The adoption of data protection is happening as a result of insider threats and stricter privacy laws. As well as being able to monitor and control activities, data protection tools can use filters to control the flow of information on the corporate network and protect data that is still in motion.

Data protection is a shared responsibility

Data loss can happen for different reasons. Some companies may be more concerned about vulnerabilities and external attacks, while others worry mainly about human error.

To give you an idea, data loss can occur during a standard IT procedure such as a migration. It can also happen after attacks by ransomware or other malware. What’s more, these threats can be triggered by a simple email.

The impact of data loss can also vary according to the segment or size of the organization. In addition to impacting internal information, losing data puts a company’s legal position at risk in the face of compliance laws.

However, the burden and the challenge cannot be left to managers and IT teams alone. After all, the responsibility for preventing data loss needs to be shared by everyone.

In many cases, it is the employees themselves who accidentally send information that is considered sensitive. In addition, sometimes they also perform an operation that opens the door to a virtual attack.

Therefore, more than just implementing a data loss prevention program, we need to raise awareness. And to do this, the team responsible for information security needs to provide training for executives and end users on the benefits of data protection for the company, its own employees and customers.

The challenge of data protection

Common unintentional causes of data loss include hardware malfunctions, corrupted software, human error and natural disasters.

Data can also be lost during migrations and during power outages or incorrect system shutdowns. This shows us just how big a challenge data loss prevention has become.

 
Hardware malfunction

This is the most common cause of data loss in companies. All it takes is for a hard disk to crash due to overheating, mechanical problems or simply time.

Preventive hard disk maintenance helps to avoid data loss. It also enables IT teams to replace the unit in situations of risk.

Corrupted software

Another common problem in the data loss prevention challenge is corrupted software. This situation can occur when systems are switched off incorrectly. They can usually be attributed to power outages or human error. That’s why it’s essential that the infrastructure team is prepared for incidents and ensures that systems are shut down properly.

Natural disasters

Natural disasters are related to all the items described above. In this way, it can cause both hardware damage and system corruption. A disaster recovery plan and frequent backups are the best strategies to avoid this type of data loss.

In addition to these examples, computer viruses and virtual attacks are potential factors for data loss. And they also cause great damage to organizations and their customers.

The direct impact on the business

As you can see, in addition to the challenge, preventing data loss can be an expensive process, requiring the purchase of software and hardware solutions, as well as backup and data protection services.

However, although the costs of these services can be high, the investment in complete data loss prevention is usually worth it in the medium and long term. Especially when compared to the impacts of a lack of protection.

In the event of major data loss, business continuity and processes are severely affected. Company time and financial resources often have to be diverted to resolving incidents and recovering lost information, so that other business functions can be restored.

Next steps

With the convergence of businesses towards the digital economy, worrying about information security and preventing data loss has become essential.

Not only will companies’ participation in this period of digital transformation be compromised, but any kind of initiative aimed at future growth will be difficult to achieve if financial and credibility losses hit companies.

About EVAL

A EVAL está a mais de 18 anos desenvolvendo projetos nos segmentos financeiro, saúde, educação e indústria, Desde 2004, oferecemos soluções de Autenticação, Assinatura Eletrônica e Digital e Proteção de Dados. Atualmente, estamos presente nos principais bancos brasileiros, instituições de saúde, escolas e universidades, além de diferentes indústrias.

Com valor reconhecido pelo mercado, as soluções e serviços da EVAL atendem aos mais altos padrões regulatórios das organizações públicas e privadas, tais como o SBIS, ITI, PCI DSS, e a Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD). Na prática, promovemos a segurança da informação e o compliance, o aumento da eficiência operacional das empresas, além da redução de custos.

Inove agora, lidere sempre: conheça as soluções e serviços da Eval e leve sua empresa para o próximo nível.

Eval, segurança é valor.

Categories
Data Protection

Data Leaks – 6 Simple Steps to Avoid

The data leak has been highlighted on the main websites and in the news recently. Recently, for example, we saw a major scandal involving Facebook. What struck us most about this leak was how vulnerable we are. In addition, we have seen how damaging this type of situation can be in our lives and also for companies, even those with security policies.

Unfortunately we will always have this risk, but with a few simple actions we can reduce the chances of this happening. In addition, it is possible to minimize the impact on customers when this type of incident occurs.

Awareness is the first step to reducing data leaks

First, let’s talk about awareness. After all, many companies still treat data security with restraint. This type of behavior is common when associated with the need for specialized investments. This is a strategic mistake.

Reality shows that investing in information security is essential, especially at a time when customers are increasingly connected and carrying out financial transactions online.

Before any action or investment is made, awareness is the first step to guaranteeing the security of corporate and customer data.

Therefore, it should be understood that a data leak is an incident that exposes confidential or protected information in an unauthorized way. They cause financial and image damage to companies and individuals.

In addition, data theft can involve personal information, personal identification, trade secrets or intellectual property. The most common types of information in a data leak are the following:

  • Credit card numbers;
  • Personal identifiers such as CPF and ID;
  • Corporate information;
  • Customer lists;
  • Manufacturing processes;
  • Software source code.

Cyber attacks are usually associated with advanced threats aimed at industrial espionage, business interruption and data theft.

How to avoid data breaches and theft

There is no security product or control that can prevent data breaches. This statement may seem strange to those of us who work in technology. After all, what is the point of the various hardware and software assets specific to the security area?

The best ways to prevent data breaches involve good practices and well-known security basics, see examples:

  • Continuous vulnerability and penetration testing;
  • Application of protections, which includes security processes and policies;
  • Use strong passwords;
  • Use of secure key storage hardware;
  • Use of hardware for key management and data protection;
  • Consistent application of software patches for all systems.

Although these steps help prevent intrusions, information security experts such as EVAL encourage the use of data encryption, digital certificates and authentication as part of the set of best practices.

Learn about the other 5 steps to prevent data leaks

The increase in the use of cloud applications and data storage has led to growing concern about data leakage and theft.

For this reason, the steps we are going to describe consider cloud computing as the main IT infrastructure adopted by companies to host their products, services and tools that are part of the production process.

1. Develop a data leak response plan

It may seem strange to recommend a response plan before building security policies and processes, but it will make sense. In fact, there is no right order in which to draw up the documents, not least because the construction will be done by several hands and they are all independent.

A data breach response plan consists of a set of actions designed to reduce the impact of unauthorized access to data and to mitigate the damage caused if a breach occurs.

Within the development process, there are stages which, when well defined, will serve as the basis for drawing up your security policies and processes. To give you an idea, the development of this plan brings us approaches like:

  • Business impact analysis;
  • Disaster recovery methods;
  • Identification of your organization’s confidential and critical data;
  • Defining actions for protection based on the severity of the impact of an attack;
  • Risk assessment of your IT environment and identification of vulnerable areas;
  • Analysis of current legislation on data breaches;
  • And other critical points.

We’ve mentioned a few points, but a data breach response plan addresses other areas that also serve as the basis for building security policies.

As we are considering a cloud environment, the strategy to be built into the data breach response plan must involve the cloud infrastructure provider.

It is also worth noting that many of the resources available in the cloud already have their own characteristics that help in the construction and execution of plans.

 
2. Have an information security policy that covers data protection

A security policy is generally considered a “living document”, which means that it is never finished, but is continually updated as technology requirements and company strategies change.

A company’s security policy should include a description of how the company protects its assets and data.

This document also provides a definition of how security procedures will be executed and the methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the policy and how the necessary corrections will be made.

It is worth remembering that part of the security policies is the adoption of a term of responsibility signed by employees so that they are committed to information security and the non-leakage of data.

Like the data breach response plan, the security policy is also a broad document with several points, but which have not been described in this article.

3. Make sure you have trained staff

So, as you may know, training is a crucial point in preventing data leaks. Employee training addresses safety on several levels:

  • Teach employees about situations that could lead to data leaks, such as social engineering tactics;
  • It ensures that data is encrypted as actions are carried out in accordance with security policies and plans;
  • It ensures that the processes involved are as dynamic and automatic as possible in order to achieve compliance with legislation;
  • It ensures that employees are aware of the importance of information security, reducing the risk of attacks.
4. Adopt effective data protection tools

In a cloud architecture adopted by companies, the existence and use of tools that help guarantee information security is mandatory. In addition to hardware and software assets, resources must be found:

  • Tools for monitoring and controlling access to information;
  • Tools to protect data in motion (SSL/TLS channel);
  • Tools to protect data at rest (in databases and files);
  • Tools to protect data in memory;
  • Data loss prevention tools (DLP).

In short, the approaches adopted by these tools are useful and mandatory when the aim is to block the exit of confidential information. They are key to reducing the risk of data leakage when managed through cloud infrastructure services.

5. Test your plan and policies, addressing all areas considered to be at risk

Just as the other sections described are important, the value of carrying out checks, as well as validating security policies and plans, makes this last step one of the most critical.

As a result, the company must carry out in-depth audits to ensure that all procedures work efficiently and without room for error. However, for many, the testing stage must be one of the most challenging parts. So the information security area must always seek to prevent data leaks.

On the other hand, it is very difficult to implement all the procedures described. Mainly due to the fact that we have the company’s operations running at full steam.

If not planned correctly, testing can have a major impact on the organization’s routine. However, this validation is fundamental to protecting the company from data leaks and cannot be neglected.

Finally, the steps described in the article will certainly help your company prevent security incidents. Despite their apparent complexity, it is entirely possible to adopt them and succeed in preventing data leaks.

Finally, subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date with EVAL’s news and technologies. Keep following our content on the blog and take advantage of our Linkedin profile to stay informed.

About Eval

EVAL has been developing projects in the financial, health, education and industry segments for over 18 years. Since 2004, we have offered Authentication, Electronic and Digital Signature and Data Protection solutions. Currently, we are present in the main Brazilian banks, health institutions, schools and universities, and different industries.

With value recognized by the market, EVAL’s solutions and services meet the highest regulatory standards of public and private organizations, such as SBIS, ITI, PCI DSS, and the General Data Protection Law (LGPD). In practice, we promote information security and compliance, increase companies’ operational efficiency, and reduce costs.

Innovate now, lead always: get to know Eval’s solutions and services and take your company to the next level.

Eval, safety is value.

Categories
Data Protection

Data Encryption in Business, How Does It Work?

Have you ever stopped to think about how much data your company generates and stores every day? From financial information to customer data, every bit is a valuable asset that can be vulnerable to attack if not properly protected. This is where Data Encryption in Business comes in.

Data encryption in business is on the rise in the digital world due to the growing concern about assets in digital transformation projects.

These assets are distributed in the most diverse electronic environments, from local machines, servers, databases to mobile devices.

Hence the big challenge: how to protect?

O Que é Criptografia e Por Que Ela é Crucial para Seu Negócio?

Cryptography is the science and practice of protecting information by transforming it into an indecipherable code.

But why is this so important?

Imagine a world where anyone could access your financial information, business strategies or customer data.

Business Data Encryption serves as a robust shield against these threats, ensuring that only authorized people have access to critical information.

According to the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), in 2017 more than 3.6 billion people used the internet worldwide.

These people consume and generate information, so you can get an idea of the amount of data being trafficked.

Figure 1: Internet users in millions. Source: ITU.

Until recently, the term cryptography was unknown to most people until popular applications spread the concept.

Data encryption in business is gaining ground in the day-to-day conversations of IT professionals, from infrastructure and development to data storage.

However, due care must be taken to ensure that its benefits do not become a problem for companies.

It is known that once encrypted, the data will only be available to those who possess the secret key to decipher it.

But some doubts usually arise in this type of project, such as which data to encrypt? Will there be a loss of performance? How do I manage the keys?

Data encryption in business, should I use it?

According to the breachlevelindex website , in 2016 alone approximately 1.4 billion pieces of data were leaked. Only 4.2% of this data was encrypted, meaning that 95.8% of the data was available without any protection.

Cybercriminals are always on the prowl, looking for loopholes to break into systems and steal data. Encryption acts like a fortress wall, making it almost impossible for attackers to decipher protected information.

So you need to be one step ahead in the event of a security breach. This means putting additional protections into the organization’s strategy, such as encryption in the event of a data leak.

How Data Encryption in Business Protects You

A criptografia não é apenas uma barreira contra ameaças externas, como cibercriminosos e malware; ela também protege contra riscos internos, como funcionários descontentes ou descuidados.

Ao criptografar dados sensíveis, você garante que apenas pessoas com as credenciais corretas possam acessá-los, tornando mais difícil para qualquer parte mal-intencionada comprometer a integridade dos seus dados.

Mas os benefícios da criptografia nos negócios vai além.

Regulatory Compliance and Brand Reputation

Cumprir com regulamentações de proteção de dados não é apenas uma questão legal, mas também uma questão de reputação.

Quando os clientes sabem que você está tomando todas as medidas necessárias para proteger suas informações, a confiança na sua marca aumenta.

Isso pode se traduzir em maior fidelidade do cliente e, eventualmente, em aumento de receita.

Data Integrity and Business Continuity

A criptografia também garante que os dados não sejam alterados durante o trânsito entre diferentes sistemas ou durante o armazenamento.

Isso é crucial para a integridade dos dados e para a continuidade dos negócios, especialmente em setores como saúde e finanças, onde a precisão dos dados é imperativa.

Competitive advantage

Em um mercado saturado, ter um sistema de segurança robusto pode ser um diferencial competitivo.

Empresas que adotam medidas de segurança avançadas, como a criptografia, estão um passo à frente na atração de clientes que valorizam a privacidade e a segurança.

Implementing Technology in Business

In principle, any data can be encrypted, but it is important to define which data is sensitive for the organization. The best known are databases, file systems and virtual machines.

However, what hardly converges is the cryptographic key management model that will be used in the data protection and recovery processes.

What we’re trying to address here is: what if the key is lost?

Or what happens if the key is accessed by unauthorized users?

If these premises are not taken into account, the use of cryptographic systems, rather than a solution, becomes a major problem for an organization.

Thus, a solid solution for data encryption in business must include the adoption of a key management module that includes access control and backups.

There are several libraries that help developers with this task, as well as equipment such as HSM and Gemalto‘s KeySecure solution.

Finally, we conclude that using cryptography is a path of no return. However, projects must not overlook fundamental premises such as performance, management and secure key storage.

About Eval

A Eval está há mais de 18 anos desenvolvendo projetos nos segmentos financeiro, saúde, educação e indústria. Desde 2004, oferecemos soluções de Autenticação, Assinatura Eletrônica e Digital e Proteção de Dados. Atualmente, estamos presentes nos principais bancos brasileiros, instituições de saúde, escolas e universidades, além de diferentes indústrias.  

Com valor reconhecido pelo mercado, as soluções e serviços da Eval atendem aos mais altos padrões regulatórios das organizações públicas e privadas, tais como o SBIS, ITI, PCI DSS, e a LGPD. Na prática, promovemos a segurança da informação e o compliance, o aumento da eficiência operacional das empresas, além da redução de custos.  

Inove agora, lidere sempre: conheça as soluções e serviços da Eval e leve sua empresa para o próximo nível.  

Eval, segurança é valor. 

Categories
Data Protection

Secure Data Storage, the Risk of Lack of Encryption

Information security is a growing concern for companies of all sizes and sectors. Secure data storage is not an option, but a necessity. This article highlights the imminent risk of not investing in encryption to protect your stored data.

Data storage security is a constant concern, especially when it comes to corporate information.

The cybersecurity sector is responsible for deciding on the procedures needed to protect your company’s data.

In addition, together with the IT department, security personnel have the difficult task of choosing the best method of storing corporate data.

This task becomes especially complicated due to the vulnerabilities that each method presents, as well as the efforts required to adapt all internal processes.

Data Storage is Impacted by Information Theft and Leakage

Unencrypted data is like an open safe, accessible to anyone who knows where to look. Sensitive information such as financial data, customer information and intellectual property is at risk.

According to the Breach Level Index website, more than 7 billion pieces of data have been stolen or lost around the world since 2013. The number is frightening and growing at a considerable rate. If we take a daily average into account, that figure is over 4 million.

In other words, more than 3,000 pieces of data are stolen or lost every minute. According to the website, the technology industry is the most affected, accounting for 35.19% of all this information.

Which explains the sector’s concern about safety.

O Custo de um Vazamento de Dados

A single data leak can result in significant financial losses, reputational damage and possible legal action. The average global cost of a data leak is millions of dollars, not to mention the intangible impact on customer trust.

Encryption acts as a steel barrier, making it almost impossible for attackers to decipher the stored data. It turns readable information into an indecipherable code without the right encryption key.

Companies that adopt secure data storage practices through encryption are more in line with data protection regulations such as GDPR and LGPD. This not only minimizes the risk of penalties, but also serves as a competitive edge.

In addition, some protection strategies can be defined. The most common is the protection of personal or business-sensitive data, such as credit card numbers.

When it comes to protecting the storage of sensitive data, current techniques have little effect on application performance and are almost imperceptible to the user.

Implementando a Criptografia na Perspectiva do Armazenamento Seguro de Dados

Before diving into implementation, it’s crucial to understand your company’s specific needs.

This includes the type of data you store, the volume of data and the regulatory requirements you must meet. A thorough evaluation will allow you to choose the most suitable encryption solution.

Tipos de Criptografia e Quando Usá-los
  • Criptografia Simétrica: Mais rápida e eficiente, mas a mesma chave é usada para criptografar e descriptografar. Ideal para grandes volumes de dados.
  • Criptografia Assimétrica: Usa chaves diferentes para criptografia e descriptografia, oferecendo uma camada extra de segurança. Mais adequada para transações e comunicações seguras.
  • Criptografia em Repouso: Protege dados armazenados em discos, servidores ou nuvens.
  • Criptografia em Trânsito: Protege dados enquanto estão sendo transferidos entre sistemas ou durante transações online.

Another question that often comes up when we talk about data storage and encryption is where the key will be stored.

For this, the use of HSM is of great importance, especially with the growing use of server virtualization and cloud storage, among other issues.

Encryption is an Investment in the Future of Your Business

Secure data storage is not an option, but an imperative.

The successful implementation of encryption is an ongoing process that requires careful planning, execution and maintenance.

Investing in a robust encryption strategy not only protects your most valuable assets, but also strengthens customer trust and loyalty.

About Eval

EVAL has been developing projects in the financial, health, education and industry segments for over 18 years. Since 2004, we have offered Authentication, Electronic and Digital Signature and Data Protection solutions. Currently, we are present in the main Brazilian banks, health institutions, schools and universities, and different industries.

With value recognized by the market, EVAL’s solutions and services meet the highest regulatory standards of public and private organizations, such as SBIS, ITI, PCI DSS, and LGPD. In practice, we promote information security and compliance, increase companies’ operational efficiency, and reduce costs.

Innovate now, lead always: get to know Eval’s solutions and services and take your company to the next level.

Eval, safety is value.

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Sumarezinho
São Paulo - SP,
ZIP CODE: 05440-000

Contact

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(11) 3865 - 1124
[email protected]

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