WIKI Page - Encryption
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Description
Encryption tools are method of protecting secure information from hackers, by encrypting information. The only way of getting access to that information is by holding the decryption key. It is used in various fields ranging from protecting sensitive information or just protecting the privacy.
History
Encryption it has been used to protect communications for a long time and was mostly developed in World War II. Nowadays it is used by every each and one of us on our PC's. A true pioneer in cryptology was Al-Kindi which wrote A Manuscript on Deciphering Cryptographic Messages. The U.S. Data Encryption Standard and public key cryptography was introduces in the mid-1970s, and so strong encryption began to be used into the public domain.
How they work
Encryption tools use various ciphers to encrypt the information according to a key which them becomes the only way of decrypting the protected information. For example a user wants to upload something on a network drive but the information will be exposed to anyone that has access to that network. If the information is encrypted the user is safeguarded from information theft.
What to look for
- If a user wants to encrypt data locally then he/she can choose from dozens of available products. Even if the user doesn’t have any knowledge about cryptography, the options are broad, and some tools even provide a highly intuitive interface.
- Depending on the need, tools that offer encryption may be useful for creating a VPN (Virtual Private Network ), encrypt emails or as a last resort in encrypt the information before deleting it. For example OpenVPN is a useful tool for creating VPN tunneling with the advantage of being free and it's being used all around the world - the advantages of such a product will be the fact that support is extensive, and most of the problems one might encounter have already been put up by others, and a solution is most likely to be found.
Top Encryption Products
- Ingrian it is a hardware solution that encrypts structured data, such as CRM and ERP tools
- Pretty Good Privacy Encryption Corporation encrypts documents on laptops,desktops, and servers, as well as email, IM, and removable media.
- POSTX is the only email encryption endorsed by the American
Hospital Association; useful for HIPAA compliance
- Verisign it is one of the leading vendors in online encryption strategies and offers SSL, authentication, and digital IDs, among other products