Maintaining security is very important when we use devices connected to the network. It is essential to prevent information from being leaked, that hackers can access our data and, ultimately, to make everything work properly. But for this to be possible it is necessary to have a series of protocols and characteristics. In this article we are going to talk about what military grade encryption is, something that will allow our data to be protected correctly at all times.
Why it is important to keep your data protected
It is a reality that our personal data has a lot of value on the Internet. They can steal very diverse information simply by entering a website, by sharing content in the cloud, social networks, etc. This could put both private users as well as organizations and companies at risk.
The data can be used by third parties for profit. After all, knowing an Internet user is very important for a marketing company, for example. You could send us targeted advertising or include us on a spam list, as you know more about us and have more information you can use.
But it could also be used by hackers for criminal purposes. They could use that personal information they have obtained to carry out a personalized phishing attack . It is more possible that we open an email in our name, where they inform us of something we use, than another that is generic.
For all this, our data has great value on the net. That is why we must preserve them at all times and prevent them from ending up in the wrong hands. That’s where the different encryption protocols come into play that help us avoid leaks. This is the case with military grade encryption.
Military grade encryption
On many occasions we find applications or services on the Internet that claim to have military grade encryption to protect our data. This is something that many companies also take into account to not trust confidential information to any software they use. But what is this really?
Keep in mind that there are many encryption methods . Not all have the same level of effectiveness, logically. If we are using an obsolete one, which does not offer good protection, the content could be decrypted and our privacy could be at risk.
The term military grade encryption, as we can imagine, means that it is robust enough to prevent attacks and reduce the risk that personal data or any content that we have encrypted may leak. It is something that many companies use to offer their software with greater guarantees.
We can put different examples in which encryption is going to be fundamental. For example, to log into online banking, make a purchase, enter certain services with our data, use a VPN … In all these cases we can find that they indicate that it has military grade encryption. It is, in a way, a way of giving confidence to users and that they opt for that particular tool.
Normally with this type of encryption we refer to the one that has AES-256 . This is an advanced encryption standard with a 256-bit key size. It is superior to AES-128, for example. This ensures that the encryption and decryption process is more reliable, more difficult to break.
Is AES-128 encryption bad?
This can lead to the question of whether any encryption lower than AES-256, which is considered military grade, is secure or not. The truth is that any encryption is better than none. This happens with any password that we put for the Wi-Fi network , for example. Even if it is very weak, even if it is very basic, it is better than having absolutely nothing.
Therefore, the encryption AES-128, AES-192 or any other type that is not considered as military grade, does not mean that they are not valid to protect our information. However, having a 256-bit key offers greater guarantees.
If, for example, we find a password manager that offers us military grade encryption and we have another option that only has AES-128, that is where we can find a differential point that makes us choose one or another option. It is, as we have said, a kind of trademark to make users see that they are facing something safer.
Tips to protect personal data
We have explained the importance of keeping our information safe. We also talked about military grade encryption and how it could help us. Now we are going to give some essential tips to protect personal data and prevent it from ending up in the wrong hands.
Always have security programs
A very important point that we must always keep in mind is to have security software that helps protect computers. We can have a good antivirus installed, but also other tools such as a firewall or even security extensions.
Keep equipment up-to-date
Of course it is also essential to have the systems correctly updated . On many occasions, vulnerabilities arise that can be exploited by hackers. They take advantage of these flaws to access computers and steal personal information. This means that we must always keep everything with the latest versions, regardless of whether it is a program, operating system, firmware …
Beware of public networks
You also have to indicate the risk that exists when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network . For example, we are talking about an airport or shopping center. An attacker can create a network in order to steal user data. You have to be careful when browsing these types of networks and, if necessary, have a VPN that can encrypt the connection.
Common sense
But without a doubt something essential is common sense . In most cases, cybercriminals will require the victim’s interaction. They will need us to make a mistake, such as downloading a file, accessing a link, logging into a Phishing site … We must always avoid making mistakes that could harm us.
In short, military grade encryption means that the program or service we are using has the best guarantees to protect our data. We have also given some essential tips to avoid being victims of attacks that can steal personal information.
