The Need for Data Security in Today’s Systems

A data security system is fundamental to an organization since it can ensure that unauthorized personnel does not have access to key information of the organization by making them not comprehend any message being passed through. Further, since data is very crucial in the operations of an organization, it is important to ensure that it is not tampered with in any way and that confidentiality and integrity of the data are maintained at all times. However, with time there will be new methods of hacking that will be derived as ways to get data from an organization. Thus, there is a need to ensure that a background check of the existing systems is done to avoid attacks and also update the system to ensure that there are no threats of attack that will occur in the future. Data security can detail the types of algorithms of cryptography utilized in the design of the system, which is categorized into:

Secret Key Cryptography (SKC)

This is the use of a single key for encryption and decryption. It is also called symmetric encryption. The single key is used for privacy and confidentiality. Here, the sender uses the key to encrypt the plaintext and sends the ciphertext to the receiver, who then uses the same key to decryption the message to plaintext.

Public Key Cryptography (PKC)

This uses two keys, one for encryption and the other for decryption. It is also called asymmetric encryption. This is used mainly for authentication, key exchange and non-repudiation. It has been in development for a long time, in the last 300-400 years, with the modern form being publicly described by Stanford University professor Martin Hellman and a graduate student Whitfield Diffie in 1976 (Drops, 2018). This involves using two keys, but using one key does not allow someone to determine the other key easily. One key is used to encrypt the plaintext, while the other is used to decrypt the ciphertext.

Hash Functions

This uses a mathematical transformation to encrypt information and provide a digital fingerprint. It is mostly used for keeping the integrity of the message. It is also called message digests and one-way encryption.

Final Thoughts

Data Security is fundamental in systems; thus, you must always maintain security. You can pick a method to ensure security in day-to-day activities. I prefer the Public Key Cryptography in every way and channel used. Pick up among the algorithms and maintain security at all times.