By Byron V. Acohido
Encrypting data kept in storage (data at rest) as well as data as it is being transported from one server to another (data in transit) has become a standard business practice.
Yet there remains a singular security gap in the way companies collect, store, access and analyze business data, both on premises and, especially, in the cloud.
Related article: Cloud providers take on security burden
To do a simple database search — or to complete more sophisticated tasks, such as data analytics — stored data must first be decrypted. Or put another way, encrypting data often breaks applications and application functionality further limiting its use and implementation. This creates a viable opportunity for an intruder lurking on a company’s network to steal the data in decrypted form.
Make no mistake, this is a profound exposure, one that has become increasingly worrisome as “digital transformation” accelerates and companies shift more data storage, software development and data analytics into the cloud.
The good news is that the commercialization of a long sought-after technology breakthrough that directly mitigates this singular risk is gaining traction in multiple forms. There is an emergence of new data protection and encryption capabilities that leverage different cryptographic techniques. Homomorphic encryption, secure multiparty compute (SMPC), and enclave computing are all solutions that have been recently released to market.
A Silicon Valley-based startup called Baffle is in the thick of this important development. I recently had the chance to sit down with Baffle’s co-founder and CEO Ameesh Divatia. For a drill down on our conversation, please listen to the accompanying podcast. The key takeaways: (more…)
