Over the last 10 years, enterprises have moved on from decentralized and distributed key management to centralized key management systems to provide secure and unified key life-cycle management.

This article looks at the concept of cryptographic key management – what it is, why it’s important, and how an electronic key management system simplifies the task of managing a high volume of keys.

With data protection standards, such as GDPR, and the sheer mass of data that companies collect and accumulate, the protection and control of information has become increasingly important. The deployment of encryption is the backbone of any given organisation’s systems security scheme towards the goal of data protection.

In this article we look at the role of random number generators (RNGs) and put them into a procedural context with hardware security modules (HSMs) and key management systems (KMSs). 

The use of both symmetric and asymmetric cryptography & keys are part of a well-rounded solution for securing digital transactions. Each approach to protecting data has its benefits, especially when applied to the appropriate scenarios. Here we look at the reasons for using each cryptographic method.

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.