In this final article in a 3-part series on symmetric key encryption technology, we look at the use of encryption modes with symmetric block ciphers, including the need for padding and initialization vectors.

In this article, the first of a 3-part series on symmetric key encryption technology, we will look at the principles of symmetric encryption, the two types of symmetric algorithm, and the lifecycle and management of symmetric keys.

In today’s cyber-world there is an ever-present risk of unauthorized access to all forms of data. Most at risk is financial and payment system data that can expose the personal identifying information (PII) or payment card details of customers and clients. Encryption is crucial for protecting PII and mitigating the risks that businesses which conduct payment transactions face every minute of every day.

In this article we will talk about symmetric encryption in banking, its advantages and some challenges of managing the keys.

The protection and secure management of cryptographic keys is crucial for ensuring that cryptography is used in the most effective way to keep data secure. Picking the wrong key management system (KMS) can thwart all the efforts that have been made in using cryptography to protect information.

The use of cryptography is the foundation for secure processing of financial and other electronic transactions. The management of the associated cryptographic keys, on the other hand, has been equally effective at stressing the capabilities of your people, processes, and systems. With that in mind, here are three advantages that automated key management will give you and your organization.

The need for mitigating risk with an appropriate key management system (KMS) is critical to the success of any organization that shares sensitive data across networks.

Here is a breakdown of two common types of KMSs and how risk mitigation can be successfully accomplished.

The modern world of cybersecurity can be a confusing place. There are tomes of data, regulations, and mandates in addition to the complex technical aspects. This is especially true when it comes to crypto key management systems (KMSs).

A crypto-abstraction layer (CAL) is, in its most general sense, an application programming interface (API) - also known as a library- that hides cryptographic details from program developers that they don’t need to know about (such as the brand of hardware they are using for their source of random numbers). They are essential in the world of InfoSec because those who are expert developers are not usually expert cryptographers or even security personnel and so they need all the help they can get when it comes to implementing cryptography.

In this article we will explore some of the reasons why HSMs can be difficult to use and look at a novel solution that helps to overcome these problems.