Data Masking Isn’t the Same as Encryption (And Why the Difference Matters) | CloudHesive (2024)

FAQs

Data Masking Isn’t the Same as Encryption (And Why the Difference Matters) | CloudHesive? ›

Masking is clearly more secure than encryption but it renders data useless. Masked data has no value for anyone who intercepts or steals it. This information cannot be used for anything other than to run tests on software in a development state. Hackers don't want or care about masked development data.

Data masking secures data by removing either a part of the sensitive data, replacing it with a “mask” with a similar structure but a different value. Encryption on the other hand uses complex algorithms to change the sensitive data until it is unreadable without a key.

While encryption and data masking techniques have some similarities, they are technically two separate approaches to data privacy management. Understanding both solutions is critical to making the right choice for protecting sensitive data, and remaining compliant with strict data protection laws like GDPR and CCPA.

Two key differences between masking and encryption are the following: Masked data remains usable, but original values can't be recovered. Encrypted data is challenging to work with but can be recovered with the correct encryption key.

Data masking is the process of hiding data by modifying its original letters and numbers. Due to regulatory and privacy requirements, organizations must protect the sensitive data they collect about their customers and operations.

Masking is clearly more secure than encryption but it renders data useless. Masked data has no value for anyone who intercepts or steals it. This information cannot be used for anything other than to run tests on software in a development state. Hackers don't want or care about masked development data.

To keep your physical address private

A sophisticated hacker or cyber criminal may be able to discover your approximate location or even your actual physical address using your IP address.

Encryption provides a high level of security because the data is transformed into an unreadable format. Data anonymization tools remove personal information from the dataset, altering the data itself in order to protect individual users from being identified.

Data masking is the most common data obfuscation method. The fact that data masking is not reversible makes this type of data obfuscation very secure and less expensive than encryption.

There are two types of encryption in widespread use today: symmetric and asymmetric encryption. The name derives from whether or not the same key is used for encryption and decryption.

What is the key advantage of data masking? ›

To test adequately, realistic data is essential, but real data is notorious for creating runs considerable data security risks. Data masking eliminates the risk of personal data exposure in compliance with data privacy regulations.

A non-encrypted connection is when the information being transmitted in a human readable format, whereas an encrypted connection is when the data is encrypted before it's transmitted, which makes it much more secure.

To simplify: TDE secures all of the database files on disk, hence the term "at rest". Since encryption and decryption are done by the database engine, it's transparent to all clients. Always Encrypted is more granular, specific data elements/columns store encrypted data which requires a "key" to translate.

Data masking may not always preserve the usefulness or value of the original data. Due to the obscuring or replacing sensitive data with randomized or fictitious data, it may not always retain the same statistical properties or patterns as the original data. Data masking may not always be reversible.

How encryption works. Encryption works by encoding “plaintext” into “ciphertext,” typically through the use of cryptographic mathematical models known as algorithms. To decode the data back to plaintext requires the use of a decryption key, a string of numbers or a password also created by an algorithm.

What is IP masking? IP masking replaces your real IP address, giving you a new online identity. When users change their IP address, bad actors cannot easily detect their physical location or track their online activity. This guarantees enhanced internet privacy while allowing access to geo-blocked services.

VPNs encrypt your data and make it possible to browse the internet without exposing your personal IP address. People use VPNs for a variety of reasons, including to safely use public Wi-Fi and to avoid marketing adware from collecting personal information about their internet browsing activities.

IPSec encryption is a software function that scrambles data to protect its content from unauthorized parties. Data is encrypted by an encryption key, and a decryption key is needed to unscramble the information. IPSec supports various types of encryptions, including AES, Blowfish, Triple DES, ChaCha, and DES-CBC.

Encryption provides confidentiality for sensitive information by converting code into ciphertext, making it unreadable to anyone who does not have the decryption key. Obfuscation, on the other hand, does not provide confidentiality, as the code remains in a readable form, just more difficult to understand.