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Companies have a problem with encryption: While many businesses duly encrypt sensitive data, there is no standard strategy for deploying and managing a key-management infrastructure.

Every organization needs to make a large number of decisions in designing a key-management policy that works for their business, Karen Reinhardt, principal engineer for cryptographic services at Home Depot, told attendees at the RSA Conference in San Francisco last week.

"One size does not fit all," she said.

Some cloud-native startups can manage much, if not all, of their encryption keys in the cloud, while large enterprises with legacy technology likely need a locally hosted system and hybrid infrastructure. Some groups, such as developers, may be able to manage their own infrastructure, while general employees need their keys managed for them. Finally, every company needs to take into account the post-quantum future, Reinhardt said.

Encryption is a necessary technology for securing data and systems, but there is more to data security than just encrypting the data. Perhaps the most complex part of any encryption infrastructure is managing the keys needed to decrypt data. If the attacker has access to the keys, they have access to the encrypted data; defenders who lose access to the keys lose access to data.

Reinhardt outlined five points enterprise security teams should consider to "keep everybody from putting their proverbial key under their doormat, which is a problem I see all the time."

The first lesson for companies is that encryption keys are critical perhaps more critical than proper encryption. Data is unusable if you can't decrypt it, so knowing where the decryption keys are is often much more important than knowing the location of the encryption keys, said Reinhardt.

Organizations should always have a controlled archive of decryption keys, she said.

"The thing about identity is you can always replace it OK, you lost your driver's license. Let me get you a new one," Reinhardt said. "But if you have data that's encrypted with something, you can only decrypt it one way."

Security controls continue to be expensive to implement, and encryption is no exception. Companies need to measure the cost of creating and managing encryption infrastructure against the cost of a breach to find their "optimum security at minimum cost," Reinhardt said.

"Security does you no good if you bankrupt your company," she said. "Stronger controls almost always equal more money, so [while I'm] not actually against 'encrypt everything,' it's a lot of money, a lot of processing, a lot of extra memory so I'm more of a fan of focus on what really needs to be kept secret."

Companies moving more of their infrastructure to cloud services and platforms are already trying to control data sprawl;cloud-native key management adds key sprawl to the equation as well. Companies need to take stock of not only their critical data what needs to be encrypted but also how each cloud service manages its keys and other secrets and whether the company can centralize management to increase control.

"Where are the keys? Well, a lot of times, they're in a local key store sitting on a system. And in other cases, they can be in a remote store," Reinhardt said. "They could be anywhere these days on-prem, in the cloud, [hosted by] a vendor, or in your own managed cloud."

Smaller companies just starting out with key management can create greenfield key management and take advantage of the latest technologies to simplifying their infrastructure and strengthen control over their data. Yet large companies that already have a variety of key management technologies in place will have to support legacy applications and databases.

"If you're a fairly new company with a greenfield implementation, you might not have the same integration requirements of a company that's been around for 100 years," she said.

Cloud-based encryption infrastructure, such as hardware security modules secure storage for key data and operations can help make implementation simpler and make integration with legacy technology easier.

Finally, every company needs to consider the post-quantum future and make sure that their key infrastructure can generate quantum-safe keys. As quantum-computing technology advances, public-key encryption will need to evolve and use stronger keys generated by more modern algorithms.

"Post-quantum means every asymmetric key has to be replaced, so you need to know where they are," Reinhardt said. "And that is the big advantage of a key management system or any sort of centralized management system. It will make finding your keys, and rotating them, much easier."

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A Cost-Effective Encryption Strategy Starts With Key Management - Dark Reading

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Encryption secures information by translating it into computer code thats unreadable to those who dont have the means to access the information. These means of access can include passwords, credentials and authentication of some form. Though encryption could still be broken or cracked, strong encryption is nearly impenetrable.

SEE: Brute Force and Dictionary Attacks: A Guide for IT Leaders (TechRepublic Premium)

Securing data both stored and in-transit through encryption is essential as part of an organizations cybersecurity strategy. There are various encryption options out there. Here are our top picks.

Employees per Company Size

Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)

Any Company Size Any Company Size

Features

Advanced Threat Defense, Full Disk Encryption , Modern Endpoint Protection, Server Security

Employees per Company Size

Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)

Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise

Features

Activity Dashboard, Advanced Threat Analytics, Analytics/Reporting, and more

Employees per Company Size

Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)

Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise

Features

Anomaly Detection, Audit Logs, Compliance Reporting, and more

BitLocker is available on server and business editions and contains various encryption tools. The Redmond solution focuses on encrypting files and drives on a device right out of the box. Likewise, you can set up recovery keys to retrieve data if you get firmware problems or errors. Its an excellent choice for encryption software for Windows.

As a Microsoft product, youll typically need a Microsoft account or will need to link a device to a Windows domain to use it. You can also configure it for a corporate environment using Group Policy. The settings help you decide which drives you want to encrypt and how to distribute your keys (certificates).

Additionally, the computer must have a Trusted Platform Module that can support the encryption process.

We chose BitLocker for its easy integration with Windows environments. This is on top of a user-friendly interface and full disk encryption. For users that are already deep into the Windows ecosystem, or are planning to adopt a Windows-centered environment, BitLocker is the best choice for you.

Free as part of Windows software.

Figure A

VeraCrypt is another free disk encryption software that you can use on Linux, macOS and Windows systems. Its an open-source solution which forks off the TrueCrypt project, adding features to help with secrecy.

VeraCrypt is a prime pick for privacy enthusiasts and tech-savvy consumers. This is largely due to it being open-source, wherein its source code is publicly available for easy spotting of vulnerabilities and points for improvement. Businesses that prioritize transparency and regular code audits in an encryption solution should have VeraCrypt high on its list.

We selected VeraCrypt as a top solution for hidden encryption. Its feature set allows for easy hiding of encrypted data in sight, making internal resources more secure against prying eyes. In addition, it utilizes popular encryption algorithms and has wide support for multiple platforms.

Free.

Figure B

AxCrypt Premium allows users to encrypt files locally using the AES-256 encryption algorithm. Sharing is possible with its key-sharing option. The solution protects classified and sensitive information and provides access to a master password generator.

We selected AxCrypt for users that want to prioritize local storage encryption above all else. It uses the gold standard AES-256 encryption, has file and key-sharing support and works well with the most popular operating systems and platforms.

Theres a one-month trial period across its Password Manager, Premium and Business subscriptions. But for organizations and businesses, AxCrypts Business plan is priced at $10.42 per month, per user, However, customers can get 20% off if they choose annual billing.

Figure C

From popular security provider Nord Security, NordLocker is their take on encrypted file storage.

Aside from file encryption, it offers data syncing, secure file-sharing and file management across numerous devices.

As a cloud-based solution, businesses will be able to easily access their files on their computers or mobile devices. Fans of Nords other security products, such as NordVPN and NordPass, should definitely consider NordLocker as a possible encryption solution.

NordLocker carved its name on this list for being an all-in-one encryption storage solution. Both businesses and individual users looking for a secure and intuitive way to secure their data will find NordLocker as a fine choice.

NordLocker has two tiers: Personal and Business. For Personal, we get three subscription options with a monthly and annual plan. Heres a rundown of the 1-year plans:

For NordLocker Business, we only get one plan option that lasts a year:

Figure E

Advanced Encryption Package (AEP) offers a choice between 20 proven encryption algorithms to protect user data. This includes the industry standard AES encryption, Blowfish, Serpent, GOST, Twofish and many others.

Its an easy-to-use data encryption solution that enables users to create a password to access files and choose their own encryption algorithm. Decryption is easy as well. Right now, AEP is available for Windows 10 and 11.

We chose Advanced Encryption Package for its ease of use in terms of selecting an encryption algorithm for specific files and folders. The fact that it puts an emphasis on user-friendliness is a big plus for encryption software a product category that may be intimidating for some users to tackle.

Figure F

Algorithm selection in AEP. Image: Advanced Encryption Package

When choosing encryption software, you should focus on these key features:

You want an easy-to-use interface so that you can manage and access the encrypted data easily. With encryption software, more novice users may find it daunting to implement and use. But an intuitive and user-friendly software experience will encourage users to encrypt more of their data, and in turn, increase their datas security.

Ideally, an encryption tool should automatically backup encrypted files. Theres no point in encrypting data thats at risk of being lost after a single wipe or crash. Having automatic backup functionality provides another layer of protection in case important user or business data is damaged or lost.

At the very least, encryption should support the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit algorithm which is military-grade security. This is the standard encryption algorithm thats widely recognized as the strongest in the world, with many banks and government agencies utilizing it for added protection. Other algorithms include RSA, Blowfish, Twofish, and DES.

Encryption software should accommodate a wide range of devices and platforms. Organizations with hundreds to thousands of users may use their own devices to work, or have their own operating system (OS) preferences, which means that encryption should support as many devices as possible.

Having wide device support will allow higher adoption of encryption software, and consequently, a higher level of security being implemented in a business.

Solid and multiple support options are ideal. Encryption software providers should have quality customer support in place to help users that may not be familiar with how to implement such products.

This can come in a variety of forms: online guides and tutorials, community forums, support tickets, email and phone correspondence and many more. The more options an individual user or business has for customer support, the better.

We used market research to determine the top encryption software. This research involved studying industry rankings, discussions and product reviews. Finally, we narrowed the list to the most appropriate candidates, choosing based on features like how well the software protects sensitive data, its integration capabilities and the pricing in comparison to the features each offer.

Looking at the list of products above, youll find bundles, free options and some with trial versions. So its easy to try them all out and choose the right file encryption program that meets your needs.

BitLocker could be ideal for those who want files encrypted throughout their network and dont want a huge learning curve to use. However, VeraCrypt and AxCrypt may be better if the focus is on protecting individual files without sharing.

Trend Micro is more of an enterprise focused tool because of its business-focused feature set. Meanwhile, NordLocker and AEP may benefit less tech-savvy users or organizations.

Additionally, you should look for vendors with free product trials and transparent pricing.

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The 6 Best Encryption Software (Updated for 2024) - TechRepublic

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Ransomware is the digital gift that keeps on givingand taking. Its power comes from its simplicity: anyone with a dash of malice can launch an attack. Its strength lies in its simplicity and reliance on social engineering.

Anyone with malicious intent can now easily deploy ransomware, warns Asaf Hecht, security research director at CyberArk Labs. People are often too quick to click and install things on their computers.

The proliferation of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) on the Dark Web, complete with victim profiling and help desks for bad actors, has only exacerbated the problem. The COVID-19 pandemic further fueled the ransomware explosion as companies rushed to digitize and embrace remote work, leaving them vulnerable to targeted attacks.

If only the ransomware story stopped here. But like everything else in cybersecurity, ransomware has had a major upgrade.

While the end goal (cold, hard cash or ethereal cryptocurrencies) hasn't changed, the methods have.

Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) now comes with a side of victim profiling, letting attackers zero in on high-value prey. And backups? They're not the safety net they used to be.

"Sometimes the backup is done once a week or even if it's once a day," says Hecht. He offered an example where an S&P 500 company can't afford to have a one-hour gap in information. "This is why the organization also paid."

Yes, backup software and techniques have improved over time, as has the detection of mass encryption activities. Companies are also triangulating individual behaviors to see whether they are acting strangely or under duress to stop any activity that smells like denial of availability through encryption.

As companies beef up their defenses, ransomware gangs are getting creative. It's no longer just about locking you out of your datawhats called denial of access.

They now frequently employ a combination of encryption and data exfiltration, threatening to release stolen data publicly if the ransom is not paidoften called denial of confidentiality.

Even more insidious is the rise of intermittent encryption. This technique selectively encrypts parts of files (in uniform blocks), making them unusable but not triggering traditional anti-ransomware measures.

Since only parts of files are encrypted, the attacks are swift and fly under the radar of traditional security tools.

Thats a major headache as it renders many security teams blind.

CyberArk's open-source tool, White Phoenix, offers a glimmer of hope.

It analyzes encrypted files and attempts to recover the original data using various algorithms and techniques. The Python source code is available on GitHub and at getmyfileback.com.

Hecht emphasizes that White Phoenix's primary goal is to help organizations combat intermittent encryption, not profit. CyberArk hopes to foster collaboration and accelerate its evolution by open-sourcing the tool as ransomware continues to adapt.

This tool can analyze encrypted files and attempt to recover the original data using various algorithms and techniques. Depending on the file type, size, and encryption method used by the ransomware, it could potentially restore some of the file content.

So why open source? Hecht takes a more altruistic tone, saying that the primary intent is not profits but helping companies deal with intermittent encryption. At the same time, it allows other companies to use it more effectively and evolve the tool as bad actors innovate further.

White Phoenix isn't a cure-all. It's specific on file types and has been tested on BlackCat/ALPHV, Play, Qilin/Agenda, BianLian, and DarkBit ransomware. The tool supports recovering data from files in formats like PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Zip.

The tool works best when only a small portion of the file is encrypted. The tool also relies on finding unencrypted fragments that can be extracted and concatenated to recover the original data.

Of course, the ransomware creators will find new techniques or create new methods that will make it more difficult for White Phoenix in its current form.

However, as Hecht notes, as ransomware creators inevitably develop new techniques, tools like White Phoenix offer a fighting chance in the ongoing battle against this relentless threat. This counts in a ransomware landscape already co-opting AI into its arsenal.

Image credit: iStockphoto/sqback

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Ransomware's Sneaky New Trick: Intermittent Encryption Is Here - CDOTrends

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Our Opinion: What Allegedly Happened Based on the current information, That has been provided tous. Most of the outcomes, are not known or final. Police have chosen to give our community The middle finger with encryption and non-transparency. So, nothing is confirmed. Gotta love police encryption and transparency

Which is it, RPD? Shooting, Disorderly, Or Encryption and Lies?

Sadly, Rockford PD chose to encrypt and remain SILENT.

Sources sent us photos from a major scene on E State st the other night.

Many reported it as a robbery, shooting and a possible murder.

However, RPD continues to push Crime is Down And labeled this call as a Disorderly

Since when does a LOT of police officers respond to a disorderly

MANY times, people call in a disorderly. And RPD REFUSES to respond, saying you have to come in to file a report in person.

Remind you, ROCKFORD PD CLOSED DOWN E STATE st for this call.

Sure, is a lot of police for a disorderly

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