Data encryption is a process well known and quite understandable. The two sides use special encryption and decryption keys. Even if in the process of transmitting information from the sender to the recipient, the data will be intercepted by an attacker, it is impossible to read them without encryption keys. Thus, the interception of encrypted information becomes meaningless. As you understand, despite the fact that data encryption, as an idea, is simple, the real implementation of the plan is fraught with considerable difficulties. Encryption, like a coin, has two sides. Constantly using highly complex data encryption, which cannot be cracked, is impractical because it creates a lot of difficulties for the recipient. In case data encryption is performed using too simple encryption keys, it is also not very good: a lot of effort, confusion is miserable, then it is easier to do without encryption at all. Everyone understands that any good system must be balanced.
Data encryption is no exception: information and data should be sent quickly, but at the same time, data should remain secure. Currently, a virtual private network – a VPN that uses data encryption is a good example of a fast and secure Internet connection. VPN is mainly concerned with identifying weaknesses in the user’s Internet security system and masking the IP address for a large number of people. Premium VPN providers, such as Le VPN, devote maximum of their attention to providing comprehensive security for users, and not just to ensure that the connection is not cracked. Fortunately, top-notch professionals who use data encryption to protect your information usually have so many options that it will be much easier for an attacker to give up on his venture than to follow it.
Data encryption is not an invention of the present time, it is actually older than writing, but with the advent of computers, codes become more and more complicated. Obviously, the processors used to crack these codes have also become more powerful. But, according to professionals, the code itself is rarely the weak point of encryption, most often it is the people at both ends of the connection. If the person who holds the key is an attacker planning to steal information, then there is no code in the world that could withstand this particular attack.
What is data encryption?
To put it simply, data encryption is the modification of information so that it becomes unrecognizable to outsiders. Usually, data is encrypted using an encryption method or encryption / decryption key (password), which is known only to two parties: the sender and the receiver. Digital data encryption is more complicated than handwriting encryption, but it is based on the same principles.
There are two types of encryption, each of which uses different methods of encryption and decryption of information. The most common type is symmetric data encryption, which assumes that the sender and the intended recipient use the same key to encrypt and decrypt the message. Another more complex type of data encryption is called asymmetric, in which case the sender and receiver use different keys to encrypt and decrypt the message.
Data encryption converts the transmitted information into a bunch of disconnected characters that are impossible to read and understand by a random, unauthorized person. Only a person with a decryption key will be able to recognize this information. Because most data, including media, is displayed as text, it can be encrypted in the same way. Data encryption ensures the confidentiality of any type of data.
Finally, one thing needs to be understood – data encryption is a rather complicated intellectual task. In the movies, we are often shown sneaky secret agents reading coded messages with a martini glass in one hand and a pistol in the other. In fact, people who perform data encryption are rarely well-aimed arrows, but quite often they are talented mathematicians who can invent codes, algorithms, and encryption keys in order to provide each user with strong encryption that can withstand any attack. An ordinary user receives a ready-made product in the form of special applications.
Data Encryption – Stages of Development
At all times, possession of the necessary information gave great strength and significant advantages. The one who knows more than his enemy wins. Before writing, people encrypted information with gestures and sounds. The military commanders used complex horn signals so that the enemy did not understand what they were going to undertake against them. On the opponent’s side there were special people trying to recognize these signals and understand what was going on before it was too late.
One of the original methods of encrypting the period of antiquity is the permutation code. Most people are familiar with this type of coding, in which data is encrypted using a permutation of the letters of the alphabet. This is very simple symmetric encryption, but functional.
Over time, encryption and cryptanalysis are becoming more common, the encryption process is much more complicated. At some point, the efficiency of using the letters of the alphabet to encrypt messages was exhausted, and people turned to mathematics. Simple calculus turned into advanced mathematics, then into irrational mathematics, and now it has reached the point where letters again dominate in these calculations, but these letters represent other equally complex calculations.
Why do you need data encryption today?
To understand why we all need data encryption at the moment, we need to figure out who can hunt for your personal data. These may be government officials who want to know as much as possible about their citizens for state security, may be corporate managers who dream of taking over the secrets of competitors, or maybe a gifted hacker from some provincial city who steals credit card information only for to prove that he can do it.
Information of state importance is protected by special services with highly qualified personnel, and who or what protects your personal information? Some people think that they do not need antivirus and VPN connection, because they do not have important sensitive information. This is a big mistake, your personal data is very important information. If your personal data falls into the hands of an intruder, it will cause you a lot of trouble. Even if you do not keep a lot of money in your bank account, you can have a good credit history. The danger is that having taken possession of your bank details, an attacker can take a loan from a bank in your name, which you will have to pay or walk through the courts, proving that you have nothing to do with it.
Perhaps no one will specifically hunt for your personal data, but if they are easily accessible, then there is a high probability that you will be attacked earlier than anyone else who goes to the Internet anonymously and through an encrypted VPN tunnel.
Data encryption: 7 main things everyone needs to know
These things are not meant to teach you how to encrypt and encrypt your information and data, but this knowledge will help you protect yourself. On the Internet, you can find claims that there is perfect encryption and that it has almost magical properties. It is a myth.
As in other aspects of life: if something sounds too good to be true, then, most likely, this is not true. If someone guarantees you “absolute security,” you should ask him how he will fight with someone who is smarter and financially better off than he.
Le VPN is a good example of private data protection, the service is a professional virtual private network provider and uses the most advanced encryption available. The service provides your protection not just with a code, but with a security protocol. If all else fails, you will be disconnected from the server. Le VPN is not accustomed to risking the security of customers and uses a set of measures, including data encryption, for your protection.
1. There is no code that cannot be decrypted.
Codes are created by people, and even if it is a machine code, do not forget that these machines are made by humans again. Although data encryption can be extremely complex and take a tremendous amount of time and processing power in order to crack it, theoretically, any code can ultimately be guessed. That is why encryption is updated so often, because those who can crack these codes always follow those who create them.
If someone assures you that his code cannot be cracked, you should ask him where does this confidence come from? The steamer “Titanic”, in the construction of which was laid many levels of security, was also considered unsinkable as long as it did not drown when faced with an iceberg. Obviously, the more codes and the more they are modulated, the more difficult it will be to break encryption, but, like the unsinkable Titanic, there is always a chance that encryption will be compromised at some vulnerable point, and you should be prepared for this.
2. Easier to deceive a person than to crack data encryption
Most hackers do not even think about wasting time on hacking the encryption system. It is much easier for an attacker to call and pretend that he is a sales representative conducting a survey, or a bank employee checking your payment confirmation, rather than trying to break any 128-bit encryption or trying to crack a VPN tunnel.
Thus, a situation is created when data encryption is not actually cracked, but the key goes to the attacker, and this means that all data with the same encryption is compromised. If one person is deceived in this way, this is, of course, very annoying, but when it comes to banks or government agencies, it becomes a disaster for everyone who does business with these organizations.
3. Often you make yourself a tempting target for a hacker.
Most hacker attacks are targeted. In this case, the hacker is already aware that you are the desired goal. Unfortunately, often the attacker does not even need to put any effort to learn something about you. Revealing your personality and posting important personal information about your well-being, lifestyle and so on. in social networks, you kind of provoke a hacker to hack into your device. Agree that even if you use weak data encryption, you can be relatively safe until no one is specifically interested in your identity. However, if serious government structures are really interested in you, then they will always have enough resources and computing power to intercept your data and encryption keys.
4. Stay incognito
In addition to the previous point: to the same extent that it is dangerous to advertise yourself as a tempting goal, it is also beneficial to hide your identity on the Internet as much as possible. Masking your IP address through a VPN will not only protect your connection with an encrypted tunnel and several security protocols, but also dissolve your data into a sea of others.
It is unlikely that a hacker will want to spend a lot of time, resources, computing power, and perhaps even crack data encryption, just to get information about a person about whom there is no data on the Internet and who uses his device to connect to the Internet to watch, for example, funny videos with cats. Probably most hackers have nothing against cats, but, you see, there are cheaper ways to get these videos.
5. The more security measures, the better.
Users who switch to premium security measures often ask why they need so many security measures, and does this mean that each one of them is weak? In fact, it is almost impossible to break a security measure like a VPN tunnel, but professionals know that security is never excessive.
Even data encryption performed in accordance with the generally accepted DES data encryption standard uses multiple repetition of the encryption algorithm, which then must then be decrypted in a certain way to become readable. Stricter standards, such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), use 128, 192, or 256-bit encryption, and although they are hardly cracked at present, most companies and governments that use them additionally encrypt the most confidential information. Le VPN uses AES-256 code as its primary VPN encryption method. Le VPN service regularly monitors the situation in order to instantly respond to a threat or crisis situation and switch the user to another, more secure VPN server.
6. Do not leave “crumbs”
As mentioned earlier, usually, data encryption is not violated by brute force, the attack occurs as a result of identifying unprotected locations around encryption keys and other vulnerabilities, when people work with the system or users do not make enough effort to ensure their own security.
Collecting the “crumbs” left by cookies, comments and other actions you take on the network is the best way to get data for cryptanalysis without the need for a direct attack on servers or devices. These “crumbs” of information are quite enough for a hacked code by an experienced hacker.
7. If you do not pay for the service, you are the product
Probably, you have heard this popular expression more than once. It is directly related to those Internet users who are looking for a free way to personal protection. It’s a mistake to think that you can get confidentiality, anonymity and data encryption for free without sacrificing anything in return. Often terms are used to attract customers: NSA, NASA, CIA or the like. It is not necessary to carry on loud names.
All the encryption protocols used by the US government are “open source”, and any user can see their examples on the Internet. It is this way of using that makes them so strong. In addition, services that offer a free service are usually practiced by MITM (Man in the Middle) attacks, which will be aimed at you.
In order to ensure personal security, use only reputable VPN service, which has many positive user reviews. Such reputable companies like Le VPN have existed on the VPN services market for quite some time and have been recognized by the Internet community. Openness is good evidence of the company’s reliability. Attackers and fraudulent services usually hide their data from you more carefully than from hackers and data hijackers.
Do not be afraid to go online
Any conversations about personal security on the Internet usually make you anxious and even upset. So many risks and dangers! How to live?
Let’s remember that internet security experts spend days, months, and years doing attacks and hacking and counteracting intruders trying to uncover encrypted data. Telling the unpleasant truth, professionals do their duty by promptly warning Internet users about potential threats, because “who is warned is armed”. However, none of the cyber security experts urges to stop surfing the Internet. Use all the features of the network for your own good and pleasure, just do not forget about caution.
What you need to do is to regularly spend some time on the security of your data and check that your VPN is working, your operating system is updated, and all security protocols are included. The low cost of using a premium VPN service and a little time to set it up will make your time on the Internet as safe and comfortable as possible.
Conclusion
Data encryption is not a new idea, but unlike earlier times, when only kings and generals of the army needed data encryption, data encryption is now very important for all members of society, including children and old people. We all produce, we post a lot of private information on the Internet every day, and we need to ensure its safety.
Do not be afraid to use any service on the Internet, you just need to take some action to protect themselves. Using Le VPN to mask your IP address and connect your devices to the Internet through an encrypted VPN tunnel is one of the best ways to provide personal protection against hacks and attacks.
Remember that all your confidential information must have strong data encryption and each of us must remain careful on the network in order not to provide information that must remain confidential. If you combine 256-bit data encryption with common sense, your stay on the Internet will be very enjoyable.