Types of Encryption in Password Management for Organizations

What is Encryption?

Encryption, for security purposes, is also known as a cipher. It is a mathematical algorithm that hides information or makes it secret. Data that is not encrypted is called plain text, while encrypted data is called ciphertext.

How Does Encryption Work?

The cryptographer or the one who does the encryption creates the cipher that will best hide the data they want to mask. It could possibly look like gibberish with its built-in patterns recognizable only to the creator. And to some degree, to the system as well. It essentially is the key to protecting it from being accessed by data.

What is the Importance of Encryption in Password Management?

There are 3 main components to an encryption system. In no particular order, encryption engine, data, and key management. In an enterprise or organizational application, all three components run or are stored in 3 separate locations. The purpose of 3 separate locations is to reduce the risk in case any one component is breached. This is so that the whole security system does not go down.

What is the Difference Between a Key and a Password?

A password is a secret word, phrase, numbers or combination of all of these that is created by a user or users in an organization. The password is used to either verify the identity of the user or make cryptographic keys. The key is the data that is used to unlock or lock crypto-functions in encryption, authorization, and authentication.

What are the Types of Encryption in Password Management for Organizations?

Two Main Types of Encryption:

Symmetric Cipher

Also known as secret key encryption, it utilizes a single key. Sometimes this cipher is referred to as a shared secret. This is because the system or sender who is doing the encryption has to share the secret key with all the other units who are authorized to decrypt the message.

Incidentally, symmetric key encryption is known to be much faster than asymmetric encryption. Currently, the most-trusted method of encryption in the modem world is AES or Advanced Encryption Standard. It is so reliable that even the government trusts it with classified information.

Asymmetric Cipher

This cipher is also called private-key encryption. It uses two dissimilar but logically connected keys. It uses prime numbers to make keys since it is mathematically harder to factor large prime numbers. This is in the event that someone tries to reverse engineer it.

Nowadays, crypto-processes involve using a symmetric algorithm to cipher data and the asymmetric algorithm to exchange the secret key.

Other Examples of Advanced Architectural/Organizational Encryption Types

Secure Authentication

A master password is used to unlock the private key, which is then used to decrypt data that is stored in PassCamp. SRP 8A or Secure remote Password is used to authenticate the user without the risk.

Secure Cloud

Since PassCamp is a cloud-based password manager, it is securely hosted in Google Cloud Platform Data Center. Data is protected 24/7. An additional security layer called TLS or Transport Layer Encryption is employed for extra secure data transfers.

Two Factor Authentication

This method asks the user to log in by asking the system to send a passcode to another device. This prevents any hacker from getting into the account even if he gets access to the primary device.

Centralized Blockchain Technology

This method allows for tracking history in PassCamp. Every password that is created in the system is logged and monitored every time a change is made. With this system, you don’t lose old passwords. The logged history cannot be modified in any way, so the user will see, who, when, and what exact changes were made.

Permission Control

This method makes sure that the access level can be allocated to every item. This would allow the user to modify access levels for every item. And to every user that they would share it with.

Conclusion

Clearly there is no linear solution to IT encryption and IT security in general. However, with the rapidly advancing technology on and off cyberspace, it has never been more imperative to make encrypting organizational data and ensuring it’s under strict control a priority. Enterprise-level users will do very well with the latest of what encryption technology has to offer.