GDPR - GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION
GDPR has been implemented across Europe providing greater data protection and rights to individuals.
It gives businesses a simpler and clearer legal environment in which to operate and people more say in what companies can do with their data.
There are also tougher fines for companies that do not comply. Organizations can be fined up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 Million.
All of this makes it more important than ever to ensure that your critical and sensitive information is protected properly.
WHAT IS AES 256-BIT ENCRYPTION?
- AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard. It is a symmetric block cypher that is adopted throughout the world to encrypt sensitive data.
- 256-bit refers to the length of the encryption key used to encrypt a data stream or file. A hacker or cracker will require 2256 different combinations to break a 256-bit encrypted message.
- AES has never been cracked and is safe against any brute force attacks.
'HARWARE' VS 'SOFTWARE' BASED ENCRYPTION
HARDWARE-BASED ENCRYPTION
- Hardware encryption uses a dedicated processor physically located on the encrypted drive
- Does not require additional software, so free from malware infection
- Increased performance by off-loading encryption from the host system
- Protects against the most common attacks, such as cold boot attacks, malicious code and brute force attacks
- Requires minimum configuration
SOFTWARE-BASED ENCRYPTION
- Available for all major operating systems and devices
- Cost effective
- Easy to use, upgrade and update
- Only as safe as your computer – level of protection can be compromised if operating system has low levels of security
- Complicated to configure for advanced use
- Susceptible to brute force attacks – hackers can access the computer’s memory and reset the attempt counter
MALWARE EXPLAINED
Viruses: By attaching themselves to files and infecting other files, they can spread uncontrollably, damaging a system’s core functionality and deleting or corrupting files.
Rootkits: These do not contain damaging software – they are a masking technique used to conceal malware, so it goes unnoticed by antivirus detection and removal programs.
Spyware: It hides in the background and spies on users, taking notes on their online activity, including passwords, credit card numbers, surfing habits and more.
Trojans: They disguise themselves as legitimate software. Users download them thinking they are useful pieces of software, instead they end up with an infected computer.
Worms: This is a self-replicating programme intending to spread malicious code. Using network interfaces, they can infect entire networks, either local or across the Internet. They then use infected machines to infect others.
WHAT IS RANSOMWARE?
Ransomware is a type of malware with the ability to silently encrypt your files, before demanding an online ransom payment in exchange for a decrypt key.
It can be installed into systems through a malicious email attachment, an infected software download or by visiting a malicious website or link.
When a system is infected the ransomware works in the background, connecting to a remote server, to encrypt single files, whole directories of files, or complete drives.
