Data Privacy and Encryption is Critical to your Digital Security

Farrhad Acidwalla, technology and media entrepreneur, founder of CYBERNETIV - illustrates the significance of data privacy and encryption for consumers.

The concerns with data security and privacy are of crucial significance in the world of technology, especially in today's environment where machines are always connected to networks in homes, office and public places.

Consumers often have the opinion that their computer systems are secure and inaccessible once they use a complex password, however, there are several techniques to bypass a system without knowing the password. A malicious hacker can obtain unauthorized access to a computer either through a network or by physically accessing a device.

Why is data protection the need of the hour?
The fast-evolving technology landscape conflicting with legacy systems has been the principal concern for organizations and security researchers alike when it comes to protecting systems. Influential corporations such as Equifax and Yahoo have been victims of a data breach in the recent past and it has affected the privacy of their users. Astronomical amounts of confidential and personal information have been leaked and sold on the ‘dark web’ and through other channels.

Criminal activity on the Internet primarily occurs on the 'dark web'- The hidden part of the Internet which nearly almost always guarantees the malicious agents' anonymity. Thus, selling confidential data including credit/debit card information, passwords and personally identifiable information (PII) has seen an upward trajectory on the dark web due to the demand and ease of disseminating the illegally obtained information.

Personally identifiable information can be used by fraudsters to commit online as well as offline fraud. Confidential corporate data theft of intellectual property, databases and trade secrets can have a devastating effect on corporations around the globe and the after effects are not just limited to consumers. However, most enterprises nowadays take significant precautions to avoid a data breach.

These forethoughts involve utilizing the services of a cybersecurity expert, team or company, having security controls in place with regular checks, employee training, and awareness programs on cybercrime as well as information security policies. Even though security protocols may be in place, the ever-developing sophistication of cyber attacks may occasionally provide an opportunity to black hat hackers to find loopholes and exploit systems.

For consumers, one of the solutions to keeping data secure even when their devices get into wrong hands is to use data encryption which translates to encoding all or part of the data in a storage device, thus a third party who does not have an encryption key cannot easily read said data.

Critical reasons why you should use encryption technology to secure your data:

Your Computer or Mobile could be lost or stolen: When the data on your computer is not encrypted, and it gets lost or stolen, someone else can access your computer through various means described below and read your files. Additionally, if you have saved your passwords on your browser, the unauthorized user can access your online services and login to your Social networks, email, and possibly even your online banking account.

Your Password can be hacked: A hacker that has physical access to your computer can easily access your computer even without knowing your password! It may surprise you to know that it is possible to read the files of a computer without logging in. The malicious hacker needs to easily use a bootable USB or DVD to boot your computer and access the data on your hard drive.

If you do not use encryption technology to secure your data, the hacker can quickly read the content and copy as well as distribute it at will. These bootable tools are freely available on the internet, and they require minimal technical expertise to use.

Your hard drive can be cloned: Instead of stealing a computer or mobile and raising suspicion, what if the malicious user separates the hard drive from the machine, clones it to make an exact copy and replaces it as if nothing happened?  The intruder would have a replica of all the sensitive data on your hard drive and will be able to read the same at will. However, if such storage device is encrypted, it will be nearly impossible to read even after a successful clone.

Data can be read due to mistaken computer configurations from a network location: If your computer is connected to a network, it is possible to read your shared files if the security settings of your computer are not configured precisely. This circumstance worsens if you are using legacy versions of the Windows operating system such as Windows Vista and below.

Network communication could be intercepted: Connection to a network is indispensable as the internet itself is all about interconnectivity of devices and networks. All types of communication on your computer, be it on a local network, or remote server can be intercepted and analyzed if it is not encrypted. To be significantly confident of the privacy of your communications, use the encrypted version of all internet services such as SFTP, HTTPS, SSH, SCP and the likes.

All might seem right with your unencrypted storage devices and services when there is no malicious user around. However, it is in your best interests to provide an extra layer of security for personal and corporate data. Very often, these safeguards can prove to be life-saving when a security breach occurs.

How to secure your data and make it significantly tougher for a malicious agent to gain access to your data:

Hardware and software-based encryption
Hardware-based solutions encrypt and prevent read and write access to data. It also provides a strong protection against unauthorized access and data tampering. Software Based Encryption is a simple and cost-effective method of encryption. Softwares like TrueCrypt or GNU privacy guard provide for secure encryption of data.

Data masking
Data masking is the process of hiding original information with random characters, codes and data elements. This prevents others from accessing your sensitive data. This method is often used in software testing and training. Only the data which is required can be accessed.

Security software
Security software such as Anti-virus and Firewalls provide a much-needed layer of security for the casual internet user. Anti-virus software keeps your computer protected by preventing viruses, malware, worms and trojans from creating havoc. Firewalls protect your network and systems from outside attacks by controlling the network traffic.

File level security
To prevent unauthorized access of files and documents on a shared network or computer, file permissions can be set to control user rights.

Secure wireless transmission
The data you send over a wireless network can be intercepted. A malicious hacker with a wireless compact computer and a high gain antenna can capture your data by obtaining control through an unsecured access point. All wireless access points must be configured correctly while keeping in mind the best and recommended security practices.

ADDITIONAL: Regular Backups are the key to a seamless digital experience.

Backing up data frequently is of absolute importance when it comes to data security. Back-ups are implemented to ensure recovery of data in case of data loss. Data can be backed up on various electronic storage devices, servers as well as the cloud. Consumers must ensure that the backup data is correspondingly secure.