Global Managing Director & CRO @RFA, Leader, Investor, Techie, Cyber Fanatic, Speaker - CITP / Cyber / GDPR
Encryption is often your last line of defense—make sure it’s in place. If you’re reading this, you probably already know that data is one of the most valuable assets for any organization. This is especially true for businesses like financial firms, which hold large amounts of sensitive user data that attackers will do anything to access. In my experience in IT and cybersecurity, layered security is among the most effective strategies for dealing with modern cyber attacks. With layered security or defense in depth, firewalls and IAM controls usually form the first line of defense, while encryption serves as the final layer. It is encryption that will be your last hope when all other defenses are compromised. As data breaches are beaming increasingly common, encrypting user data can be the difference between safety and exposure. In 2024 alone, more than 1.7 billion people worldwide had their data compromised. With encryption in place, even if attackers gain access to your data, it is worthless without the key. Organizations must make sure all data stored on their servers (both on-premises and in the cloud) is encrypted. Most importantly, the encryption keys themselves must be stored securely. If you are using the cloud, consider services like Azure Key Vault to manage your keys. Beyond encrypting data at rest, remember to encrypt data in transit and even during processing (using confidential computing strategies) for highly sensitive information. If you need help protecting your data at all stages, RFA can be your cloud and cybersecurity partner. Our award winning technical teams have decades of experience, so you can rely on us to keep your data secure. #Cybersecurity #RFA #FinancialIT #HedgeFunds #PrivateEquity
