Do I need to encrypt my data? (2024)

Using encryption to protect sensitive data is recommended in many situations and is potentially required in still others. Read through the steps below to determine if you should be using encryption to protect data on your personal computer or portable device.

What is sensitive data?

Sensitive data can be any information that if stolen could potentially result in damages for yourself, someone else, or the University of Iowa. Some examples include social security numbers, credit card numbers, official student grades, financial aid data, and individuals’ health information. Social Security Numbers, student transcripts, financial aid information, and health records are federally protected under laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This kind of information is classified by the University as Level 3: High Sensitivity. Find out more about how data is classified and examples of Level 3 data atthe Security Office's Guide on sensitive data.

How do I find my sensitive data?

The University of Iowa provides a tool called Identity Finder to help you search your local hard drives and personal network storage drive for protected information like SSNs and credit card numbers. You may download the Identity Finder tool at the ITS Software Services Download Site. The Identity Finder tool will "crawl" through your personal files to find instances of SSNs or credit card numbers and give you a report letting you know exactly which files might contain these pieces of information.

For data types other than SSNs and credit card numbers you will have to manually search your machine.

Does my data need to be encrypted?

Once you have determined whether or not your computer contains sensitive data, you should ask yourself if you really do need that data any longer. If the answer is no, you can just delete the information and not worry about encryption or other security measures.

If however, you answer "yes" to the above question, then you should ask yourself if you need to have the sensitive data stored on your local computer? Could you get by with the data being stored on University of Iowa network storage? If so, all you may need to do is transfer the sensitive information to your personal network storage.

If you decide that you do need to have the data stored on your local computer, you may need to implement an encryption scheme. If the information that you work with can be classified as "level 3 sensitive data" or above, University of Iowa policy will require you to use encryption. The University of Iowa considers level 3 information as data that is highly sensitive and may have personal privacy considerations, or may be restricted by federal or state law. If stolen, this kind of data would not only have a negative impact on the owner but also potentially on the University.

Final Thoughts

It is ultimately up to you, the user, on whether or not you feel your data should be encrypted. In most cases it is best to err on the side of caution and use encryption to not only protect the data but protect yourself and the university. If after reading the material above you decide that you should be encrypting your computer, then click on the link below to continue.

FAQs

Do I need to encrypt my data? ›

Do we need to encrypt everything stored in database (including full name, age,...), or just sensitive infos (username, password, history activities,...)? No need to encrypt all data in database. Only sensitive information like email or username and password can be encrypted.

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Is it necessary to encrypt data? ›

Data encryption is important because it helps protect people's privacy, and secures data from attackers and other cybersecurity threats.

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What happens if you don't encrypt data? ›

Without encryption, your sensitive data could be vulnerable to attack. For instance, if you store credit card numbers on a server, anyone with physical access to the server could potentially steal those numbers.

Is it better to always encrypt data? ›

As a result, Always Encrypted allows customers to securely store their sensitive data in the cloud, reducing the risk of data theft by malicious insiders.

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Should all personal data be encrypted? ›

Personal data should be stored in an encrypted form to protect against unauthorised access or processing, especially if the loss of the personal data is reasonably likely to occur and would cause damage or distress to individuals.

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Do I really need to encrypt my hard drive? ›

The Importance of Encryption

Encryption will likely protect you from the common thief who's looking for the quick buck by selling the hard drive itself.

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Should I encrypt data on my phone? ›

There are numerous benefits to phone encryption (more on this later), but it is ideal if you want to: Prevent cybercriminals from accessing your data. Protect your data should you lose your phone.

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What are the disadvantages of encrypting data? ›

However, as with any other technology, there are limitations to data encryption too. If the encryption key gets lost or stolen, all your encrypted data will be rendered useless. You'll also need to prioritize which data is encrypted, considering not only the sensitivity of the information held but also your budget.

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Should I encrypt all my files? ›

Generally, any file containing sensitive, personal, or confidential information should be a priority for encryption. Protecting your digital assets through encryption is a crucial step in maintaining your privacy and security in an increasingly interconnected world.

Should all data be encrypted at rest? ›

Data encryption is optional

You can choose not to encrypt your data at rest. However, it is recommended to encrypt the data for security and protection of your data. Data At Rest Encryption is supported for all different components in which customer data is stored.

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At which point should you encrypt data? ›

Typically encryption is used to secure data either at rest or in motion. There are a handful of different examples of each instance. For data at rest, like information on laptops, whole disk encryption can ensure all sensitive data is encrypted.

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When should you encrypt? ›

Generally speaking, there are two contexts when you would use encryption: when it is “in transit” or when it is “at rest”. What “in transit” means in this context is when you send it somewhere else via the web, in email, or any time you want it to be somewhere other than just on your own device.

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Should I encrypt my backup data? ›

Cloud backup providers have their own security in place to ensure the security of the physical servers, but data may be vulnerable while it is in transit. This is why data encryption is the most vital key to cloud security.

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What data must be encrypted? ›

What Data Should be Encrypted?

credit card numbers.
passwords.
social security numbers.
phone numbers.
addresses.
bank accounts.
patient health information.
and other information that's deemed “confidential”

Why would you want your data encrypted? ›

In simple terms, encryption is the process through which data is encoded so that it remains hidden from or inaccessible to unauthorized users. It helps protect private information, sensitive data, and can enhance the security of communication between client apps and servers.

What files need to be encrypted? ›

As a good rule of thumb, you need to encrypt any file that contains sensitive or confidential information, whether it's legal or financial, business, or personal. This can include personal identification information, financial details, medical records, trade secrets, and more.

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Do all files need to be encrypted? ›

Personal information: Any files containing social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, or other personally identifiable information should be encrypted. Financial data: Bank account numbers, credit card information, and other financial records need to be secured with encryption.

Does confidential data need to be encrypted? ›

The most reliable way to protect confidential or sensitive data is to avoid handling sensitive data. Sensitive data should be retained or handled only when required. Encryption can be an effective information protection control when it is necessary to possess confidential data.

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