How do you update your encryption policies to meet your organization's changing needs?

1 Assess your current encryption status

Before you make any changes to your encryption policies, you need to assess your current encryption status. This means identifying what data you have, where it is stored, how it is transmitted, and who has access to it. You also need to evaluate the strength and suitability of your encryption algorithms, keys, and protocols. You can use tools such as encryption audits, vulnerability scans, and penetration tests to help you with this process.

2 Identify your encryption goals and requirements

Once you have a clear picture of your current encryption status, you need to identify your encryption goals and requirements. These may be affected by factors such as industry, size, budget, and risk appetite. Commonly, encryption goals and requirements include protecting sensitive data like personal information, financial records, and intellectual property; complying with legal and regulatory frameworks such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS; improving customer trust and reputation; enhancing operational efficiency and performance; and reducing costs and complexity.

3 Choose your encryption methods and tools

Once you have established your encryption goals and requirements, the next step is to choose the appropriate encryption methods and tools. There are a variety of options, such as symmetric encryption, which utilizes the same key to both encrypt and decrypt data, or asymmetric encryption which uses different keys. Hashing transforms data into a fixed-length string that cannot be reversed, while digital signatures authenticate and verify the integrity of data. Additionally, encryption software provides user-friendly interfaces and features to manage encryption, while encryption hardware offers dedicated devices and chips for performing encryption. Furthermore, encryption services provide cloud-based or managed encryption solutions. When selecting the best encryption methods and tools for your data types, locations, and usage scenarios, you should take into account scalability, compatibility, performance, and cost.

4 Implement your encryption policies

Once you have chosen your encryption methods and tools, you need to implement your encryption policies. This means applying your encryption solutions to your data at rest, in transit, and in use. You also need to establish and enforce rules and procedures for encryption key management, access control, backup, recovery, and disposal. You need to document your encryption policies and communicate them to your stakeholders, such as employees, customers, and partners.

5 Monitor and review your encryption policies

Finally, you need to monitor and review your encryption policies regularly. This means checking the effectiveness and efficiency of your encryption solutions, detecting and resolving any issues or incidents, and updating your encryption algorithms, keys, and protocols as needed. You also need to keep track of the changes in your data environment, such as new data sources, storage options, and transmission channels. You need to align your encryption policies with the changes in your organization's needs and the external factors, such as new threats, standards, and regulations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?