End-to-End Data Protection: What it really means and why you need it.

The US Government defines end-to-end encryption as:

“The provision of cryptographic protection of data, such that the data is not in an unencrypted form, between an originator (or the originator’s in-country security boundary) and an intended recipient (or the recipient’s in-country security boundary).”

What does this mean in real-world terms?

End-to-end data protection is the most private and secure way to communicate online which is why organisations all over the world are utilising end-to-end encryption to protect files and communications within their business.

But with so many options out there to protect data both at source and in transit, what makes end-to-end encryption superior?

What is end-to-end encryption?

End-to-end encryption is designed to secure data along its entire journey, throughout its transit.

As data moves from one location or user to another, during this transition the data is vulnerable to being intercepted. With end-to-end encryption, data becomes encrypted as it travels – it stays protected from the point it is sent to the moment it’s received. This means only those with the designated decryption key can decrypt and read the data.

It provides a gold standard for protecting communication, the only people who can access the data are the sender and the recipient – no one else. It’s a solution that stops hackers and unauthorised third parties from accessing the encrypted data on the server.

What is special about end-to-end encryption is only owners are able to encode their content. Cloud providers or internet providers are not able to gain access – adding an extra layer of protection and ensuring a secure exchange of data.

How does end-to-end encryption work?

Encryption in transit and at rest is a standard these days for data protection, however, that alone is not enough to protect your data.

When data that is unencrypted is being shared across networks, it’s at risk of being viewed or seized by attackers, which can result in breaches of data regulations which can lead to fines, loss of reputation, and potentially a harmful financial impact on Businesses or the data Owner.

End-to-end encryption, occurs at the device level, with an additional transparent encrypted overlay of data-focused protection, through a cloud provider or server remaining secure at all times, even if someone tries to send it somewhere they shouldn’t.

How does end-to-end encryption differ and benefit users?

Historically, encryption methods have been disruptive to ecosystems and are seen as complex – even for the tech-savviest of teams. In today’s world and thanks to advances in technology solutions such as Certes Layer 4 Solution – a patented data protection technology employing strong cryptographic protection of the payload data only – are network agnostic which means they can be easily integrated into any network infrastructure, interoperable with existing security and with zero impact on performance.

The ownership of the data encryption is separated into encryption keys which the customer still owns – so there’s no need to trust in external sources or security vendors.

End-to-end encryption with Certes Networks protects data from its source, right the way through to its destination.

• No changes are made to the network or the firewall.
• Hackers cannot gain access to the data.
• Data is protected at all times and the company is compliant with industry regulations.

Providing users with a totally secure network through a fully scalable solution.  Meaning it can be deployed anywhere, across multi-vendor environments on any network or transport.