What is Data Encryption? (with picture) – wiseGEEK

darrenchaker Post 6

Given the amount of personal data which is now scanned and available on a computer, I hope laws are enacted to require companies to secure such data via encryption in the event the computer is stolen.

@IceCarver: There is no one more interested in cracking encryption methods than the government. It is not easy to brute-force a good encryption system, even for them with the resources they can muster.

Hackers are using whatever tools and techniques they can develop to get into unencrypted data. They'll try to find or guess the keys required to unlock the data, but they cannot break the encryption itself.

@JoseJames has made some great observations about the consumer market for data encryption but all of these comments neglect to mention the fact that the highest form of data encryption in the world is that used in the military industrial complex.

Tasks including the most secretive intelligence missions to simple messages from family members to service personnel are encrypted when they travel over the military computer networks.

@IceCarver, I can understand your skeptisicsm on the topic of internet data encryption but I think there is some reality that you must bring to your viewpoint.

You are correct in that our dependence on data security is taking a sharp turn upward but this isn't a bad thing as the availability to increase digital information will directly correlate to the spread of knowledge and information.

What you fail to realize is that while there are many maliciously-intended cracking groups attempting to break the latest scheme of data encryption, there is also a bigger and much more significant movement working the legal side of data encryption.

Security firms with the sole business purpose of providing data security

Sure, there are lots of bad people out there but I can assure you that there are a lot more and much higher paid amount of people that make up the good side of data encryption.

@CoffeeJim, I appreciate that you feel so secure with data encryption in this very dangerous digital age but I have some very stark news to add to your reality.

Data encryption in the modern day is very far from safe. While there is a constant battle going on in the cyberspaces there has been a resurgence in the cracking of data encryption algorithms.

It seems that whenever the latest and greatest data security hits the market and touts unbreakable barriers to your data it is only a matter of months or days before illicit groups manage to overcome your thoughts of protection.

Besides the typical impacts of everyday brute force hacking, data decryption efforts by crackers takes a top priority as more and more information becomes available in a digital format.

More and more we will have to rely on the security of these complicated math-based systems and it seems that the battle gets tougher and tougher everyday.

Data encryption is essential to the everyday and highly technology-enhacnced lives that we live.

Most people would disregard computer data encryption as a nerdy endeavor only meant for geeks in big glasses behind bright screens. The truth is that the simplest tasks in our day to day functions require the use of data encryption.

A simple swipe of your debit or credit card at the grocery store will provide you with the reminder that your personal information needs to be protected in a variety of ways that use encryption.

Beyond you simple banking needs there are other uses of data encryption that affect you on a day to day basis. Another example is the use of medical

More and more we are seeing that our precious and private medical records are being digitalized for various reason including the ease of transfer between specialists, reduction of environmental impact and the ability to easily analyze years of data without going through hundreds of papers.

I am especially thankful of data encryption for the safety of my medical records specifically.

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What is Data Encryption? (with picture) - wiseGEEK