Encryption is one of the most powerful tools available to security professionals seeking to protect sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure. It is the driving force behind the security of networks, web applications, messaging, mobile devices and many other critical technologies. Successful IT professionals are familiar with the technology and ways to apply it appropriately to many enterprise security challenges.

Encryption has many different applications, but they all boil down to one simple concept: applying mathematical algorithms to transform data. The purpose of this transformation is often to protect the confidentiality of information, hiding it from prying eyes. Encryption technology may also be used to prove an individual’s identity through the use of digital certificates or demonstrate the authenticity of a document through digital signatures. Together, these different applications of encryption provide a critical suite of tools that anyone with an Internet connection uses almost every day.

Read More: Exploring Encryption

Published November 3, 2014 in Certification Magazine