Data security is more important today than ever before. The internet is rife with cybercriminals looking to exploit any vulnerability they can, so that they can access, misuse, or even sell sensitive information for a profit.
Personal information like financial records, medical information, and confidential business documents are all prime targets for these malicious actors. For businesses who possess large volume of sensitive data, the consequences of these kinds of data breaches can be absolutely devastating, resulting in identity theft, financial loss, and severe reputational damage.
One of the most effective tools in defense against these kind of threats is encryption. At SecureScan, we talk a lot about the benefits of digitizing records, and the added security it provides for your records. But what exactly is encryption, and what role does it play in protecting your valuable data?
This article will provide a clear and accessible introduction to encryption, helping you understand how it works and why it is so crucial for protecting your digital files.
What is Encryption?
Encryption is a process that protects digital data by scrambling it up with a unique key. This makes the information inside a file unreadable to anyone who doesn’t have the key to “unscramble it”. Encryption uses complex mathematical formulas to transform your readable data into a coded format, ensuring that only authorized parties can access the original information.
Think of it like one of those encoder rings that were popular when we were kids. You’d rotate the rings to align letters with different symbols. To read the message back, you would need the correct ring settings to decode the message. Encryption works the same way, transforming your readable data into a coded format that only someone with the correct “ring settings” or key can decode.
How Does Encryption Work?
Understanding how encryption works boils down to understanding two key concepts: encryption algorithms and keys.
An encryption algorithm is a mathematical formula used to transform plaintext into ciphertext. These formulas use the encryption key as a guide to define how the data will be scrambled.
The encryption key is a randomized string of characters that the algorithm uses to scramble and later unscramble the data.
Here are some examples of various types of encryption keys you might encounter. These are not actual keys to anything real; they are randomly generated for illustrative purposes. Notice the varying lengths and characters in each type. The longer the key, the greater the variety of possible characters it can contain, and as a result, the more difficult it is to decrypt.
| Key | Example |
|---|---|
| Basic 8 | fDSzRlrH |
| Basic 10 | LJb22fB93h |
| Basic 16 | F3V4Qf4AUfra3fFB |
| Strong Not Ambiguous | ml@!FbEDbXmZwsn* |
| Strong | 1>@3>i=k>^ECZDa |
| High | p+kosYkKs.sa]9ak>GG4kh<aT,8ci=W# |
| Encryption key 256 | lBUnFWEbTYp3kkfRViBTN7Dh2ITfEe0m |
| 64 wep | 2BA9D |
| 128 wep | 29AD89948DE4E |
| 256 wep | 678BBDEAB2786A166A1748A3F8B3D |
The encryption process itself involves scrambling the data using the algorithm based on the provided key, turning the original information into a format unreadable to anyone without the key.
To revert this encrypted data back to its original form, the correct key must be applied with the encryption algorithm, which reverses the transformation, making the data readable again.
There are two main types of encryption, symmetric and asymmetric.
Symmetric Encryption: Uses the same key for both encryption and decryption. This means both the sender and the receiver need to securely share the same key. It’s efficient for large amounts of data but poses a challenge in securely sharing the key.
Asymmetric Encryption: Uses a pair of keys – a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. The public key can be shared openly, while the private key is kept secure. This method enhances security because the private key never needs to be shared.
Encryption ensures that any data intercepted or accessed without authorization is useless to the intruder, protecting them from unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyber threats.
Protecting Your Scanned Documents with Encryption
Encryption is an important component of digital document management. It’s a significant benefit of scanning projects and should be leveraged to maximize your return on investment. Understanding the basics of encryption is key, as it offers more advantages than you might initially think.
Securing Confidential Information
Documents that are scanned often contain sensitive or protected data types, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI), including personal details, financial records, and confidential business information. Encrypting these documents is vital for protecting this information from unauthorized access, even if the digital file is compromised.
Maintaining Integrity of Your Data
The usefulness of encryption extends beyond safeguarding confidentiality; it also ensures the content of your records cannot be tampered with post-scanning. This is especially beneficial when scanning legal documents, contracts, and financial records, where accuracy and authenticity are paramount.
Helping You Comply with Regulatory Standards
Many industries are regulated by laws mandating the protection of personal and sensitive data. Encryption ensures that your data is protected and secure, making it easier to comply with these laws. Failure to encrypt sensitive documents can lead to legal complications and damage to your reputation.
Integration with Other Security Measures: Access Controls and End-to-End Encryption
Combining encryption with other digital security measures like access controls enhances document security by ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to view your data. For documents that need to be shared or transmitted, end-to-end encryption can prevent data from falling into the wrong hands.
Safeguard Your Documents With SecureScan
When it comes to document security, encryption is just the beginning. At SecureScan, we specialize in providing top-tier encryption and additional security features like access controls to ensure your digital documents are comprehensively protected.
With over 21 years of experience, our expertise in document security is unparalleled. We offer customized solutions to meet the unique needs of every customer, ensuring that your documents remain secure not only during the scanning process but long after. Our commitment is to provide you with peace of mind, knowing your sensitive information is in safe hands.
Ready to enhance the security of your documents? Contact SecureScan today to explore how we can assist you in implementing robust encryption for your data. Our technicians are on hand to offer a free quote and help you make informed decisions about your document security needs.
