Even in the most sophisticated security solution, data cannot be used and secured simultaneously.
The security of data has always been a quest for security professionals. Earlier, businesses had software deployed in several insecure areas that they did not want to expose. However, they did not have any fail-safe way to protect it either.
The software encryption keys cannot be hidden – when in use, data in memory is exposed in plaintext, leaving it vulnerable. As a result, malicious actors who could gain access often dump the memory and seek out the keys and data they need.
Basically, no matter how sophisticated enterprise security software is, these errors are inevitable, and they are devastating. Simply put, data cannot be secured while they are in use. Data in the memory are incapable of encryption – and concurrently used by a CPU.
Cybercriminals, upon getting the credentials for a system, can certainly compromise the data. Lately, such breaches are taking place regularly, and almost all bigger brands have had a major breach caused by or cyber-attack in this year. Organisations have been known to spend huge amounts on getting these resolved.
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Considering the seriousness of such threats, businesses have been deploying security processes and encryption layers to mitigate data-in-use security flaws. However, no organization is still safe from these threat actors. And this has been proven repeatedly specially during this year.
In fact, hardware can provide better security than software. Security experts noted that a practical solution to secure data usage challenges is developing a trusted execution and storage embedded in trusted hardware. This could also improve the performance as well as the security of applications operating in a secure enclave.
It has been found that hardware-centric solutions are more successful compared to software. Many mobiles and laptops have such facilities integrated, and surprisingly, most users are not aware of them. Companies can control their data in remote and physically insecure environments like the public cloud by implementing these. In short, it can support in maintaining total data protection.
Jon Fielding, Managing Director EMEA at Apricorn, cited – “Ultimately, businesses will want complete confidence that employees are working safely when they’re out of the office.
Secure, encrypted storage devices can be used to protect company data offline or quickly deploy a secure desktop environment to an entire workforce by pre-loading them with the standard corporate apps and security settings. Employees can then boot this up on whatever device they’re using.”
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As this year saw a dramatic surge in cyber-attacks worldwide, CISOs are trying out advanced cyber-security solutions to mitigate the risks. Jon also added, “This will require IT teams to build deeper engagement with staff and devolve greater responsibility for security onto the individual. Education programs must therefore explain the ‘why’, as well as the ‘what’ and ‘how’: the reasons data protection is important, and the specific risks and consequences to their company of a breach.”
At the same time, security experts are working to close up the gap, enabling businesses to develop and leverage data security infrastructure. Clearly, with a slight touch of innovation, the industry is most likely to see the advent of a new era – with total data security.
