Applying encryption methods
We’ve covered access control mechanisms and data anonymization techniques in our exploration of data security and privacy, both of which offer substantial layers of defense. What happens, though, if the data must be transmitted or stored securely but still be in its original, recognizable form for some operations? This is where encryption techniques are useful.
A data engineer’s security toolkit’s Swiss Army knife is encryption. Encryption techniques can guarantee that your data stays private and intact whether you’re storing it at rest, sending it over a network, or offering a secure method for user authentication. The different types of encryption techniques, such as symmetric and asymmetric encryption, as well as more specialized protocols such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS), will be the focus of the next subsections.
Understanding how to manage and implement encryption is essential for...