Encryption Technologies Encryption is an important technical solution

Encryption Technologies Encryption is an important technical solution that all Internet users should use to protect their communications and data. Internet Society © 1992– 2016

What is encryption? Electronic encryption is the process of scrambling or enciphering data so it can be read only by someone with the means to return it to its original state. It is used: • To protect both data stored on a computer system and data transmitted via computer networks, including the Internet, resulting in • Increased security for financial transactions, protected private communications of end users, and much more.

Key Considerations In practice, encryption takes the following forms: • Symmetric encryption uses an identical key to encrypt and decrypt a message. • Asymmetric encryption uses a pair of public and private keys to encrypt and decrypt a message. • End-to-end encryption is where only the sender and intended recipient can read a message. • Data-at-rest encryption protects data physically stored in a digital form.

Challenges The widespread availability of encryption, as well as its versatile nature and use by different actors, presents a number of challenges for: • Freedom of speech, anonymity, and abuse, • The security–privacy conundrum, • Encryption backdoors, and • Tamper-resistant technology.

Guiding Principles 1 Confidentiality and anonymity 2 Data security 3 Trust 4 Encryption 5 Tamper-resistant technology 6 Increased deployment of security measures 7 Multistakeholder solutions

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