A growing number of enterprises are turning to end-to-end encryption to secure their data and communications. End-to-end encryption, also known as E2E, builds on traditional encryption-in-place to ensure that data and communications stay secure even when in transit. It’s a must for any enterprise with a growing remote workforce.
What Is End-to-End Encryption?
All encryption scrambles data so that it can’t be read without a specific decryption key. End-to-end encryption scrambles data at rest as well as data in transit from one location to another. Anyone hijacking the data in transit will be unable to read that data without the appropriate decryption key — which unauthorized users will not have.
End-to-end encryption is also used to secure communications between two or more parties. End-to-end encryption starts on the device of the person sending a message, continues through the transmission of the message, and remains in place until the message is decrypted on the recipient’s device. The message stays encrypted throughout the entire process, even if it’s stored on the communication platform’s server. End-to-end encryption can be used to secure text messages, voice calls, and video conferences.
Why Do Enterprises Need End-to-End Encryption?
Enterprises are increasingly realizing the many benefits of end-to-end encryption. E2E encryption secures valuable data and sensitive communications.
Protects Against Data Breaches
End-to-end encryption ensures that data stored anywhere in the workflow remains encrypted. Thus, it will be difficult if not impossible to hack. If cybercriminals break into an organization’s server, they won’t be able to use end-to-end encrypted data. This is because the decryption keys are stored on individual user devices, not on the server itself. It’s the most robust type of data encryption available today.
Improves Security for Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is increasingly popular for companies and organizations with a growing number of remote workers. It’s the most convenient and efficient way for users based in any location to access essential data files from any computer or device connected to the Internet.
Most cloud storage platforms provide encryption at rest. This protects data once it reaches the cloud but leaves it vulnerable in transit. Some cloud service providers, however, are adding end-to-end encryption to protect data on its way to and from the cloud. With end-to-end encryption, files saved to the cloud are protected, as are files shared from cloud storage. It is the safest way to store data in the cloud.
When you use traditional encryption at rest for cloud storage, another drawback is that malicious actors can hack the decryption keys that are also stored in the cloud. When using E2E encryption for cloud storage, however, the decryption keys are not stored on the cloud provider’s servers, but rather on individual user devices. This makes cloud storage more secure than it would be otherwise.
Enhances Security for Remote Workers
The COVID-19 crisis resulted in a large number of companies and organizations closing down their offices literally overnight and sending their employees to work from home. These newly remote workers still needed to communicate and collaborate with their co-workers. Companies big and small were forced to equip their remote workforces with the necessary tools to complete their daily tasks.
Companies quickly realized the challenges of dealing with a remote workforce, including the need to secure remote communications and file sharing in an increasingly dangerous environment. As an example, McAfee reports that external attacks on cloud storage accounts increased a whopping 630% during the pandemic.
Many enterprises discovered that end-to-end encryption was a necessity for their remote workforces. E2E encryption helps secure the file sharing, communications, and collaboration that remote workers depend on daily. With E2E encryption, employees can work safely and securely from home or any remote location without fear of being hacked.
Working from home still carries its own heightened security risks — the use of insecure personal devices, increased numbers of phishing scams, and such. However, E2E encryption reduces the risks associated with cloud storage and remote communications. Without E2E encryption, more successful cyber attacks would have occurred over the past year.
Ensures Regulatory Compliance
Larger enterprises, even more than smaller firms, are increasingly bound by strict government and industry regulations. For example, GDPR, FINRA, HIPAA, and other regulations place severe constraints on customer data storage. In many sectors, the only way to ensure compliance with these strict privacy regulations is to employ end-to-end encryption for all data and communications.
Wickr Is the Future of End-to-End Encryption in Your Enterprise
When you need to employ end-to-end encryption in your enterprise, turn to Wickr. Wickr is a communication platform that provides secure text messaging, voice calling, video conferencing, file sharing, and collaboration tools for enterprises of all types, using military-grade end-to-end encryption. Contact us to learn how you can enhance the security, collaboration, and compliance of your enterprise with Wickr.
Contact us today to learn more about Wickr’s secure communication platform for enterprises.