Comparing Encryption Technologies: NordLocker, CryptoExpert, CertainSafe, Papers of Business Ethics

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Encryption Technologies and Their Applications By: Kenisha Clark Webster University CSSS 5110 Professor: Catherine Button

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Abstract Technology is one of the most important parts of our world today. Every day we use technology whether on a computer or our phones, and we rely heavily on that technology to get us through the day. One of the aspects of technology that we as consumers do not think about as much as we should is safety. We rely on the websites and technology that we use to provide that safety and thankfully they do. Encryption technology is used as a safeguard for sensitive and private information. We send encrypted emails for work or personal, when we purchase things online the websites that we use encrypt that information to protect consumers from theft and fraud. Encryption technology uses many different applications and for this research paper, I will be focusing on 3 applications: NordLocker, CrytoExpert, and CertainSafe. These applications fall under a larger realm that I will also discuss as there are many different parts to encryption technology. We will review the different articles and research that have been completed for encryption technology to show why this is so important today.

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are familiar with encryption technology is with emails. Most places of employment will send encrypted emails to workers when there is confidential information that is being shared. To access this information, the worker must use an encryption code to view that sensitive information. This is a layer of protection to ensure that sensitive information is not accessible to individuals who do not have a need to view the information. Many companies are now requiring training on encrypted emails for their employees. Encryption technology has four objectives: confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation. In addition to the four objectives, there are 5 components. Those components are plaintext, encryption algorithm, secret key, ciphertext, and decryption algorithm. The below picture gives a visual of how the encryption process flows. Learning the process of data encryption is very beneficial so that consumers can have a better understanding of how our data is kept safe. I will be focusing on 3 applications and those are NordLocker, CrytoExpert, and CertainSafe. These applications fall under a larger realm that I

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will also discuss as there are many different parts to encryption technology. We will review the different articles and research that have been completed on encryption technology to show why encryption technologies are an essential part of our society today. With the growing number of identity thefts, companies being hacked, and spam messaging that happens daily people need to be up to date on what it is to look for and know how to protect their sensitive information. As I researched information on data encryption there was much information on the benefits of encryption technology. Recently we have heard of multiple companies having a data breach but what we had not been informed of is that the information that is encrypted is safe because to access the encrypted data the encryption code is needed. I found this to be helpful in that it minimizes the risk of all sensitive information being stolen. With the three applications that I chose to research I would like to discuss each one individually and point out their algorithms and their benefits and what consumers think about them. I found multiple reviews on the applications and how they are used. With the information I found I was able to determine which articles would be beneficial for discussion and which articles gave the most information on encryption technologies and their uses and benefits. NordLocker NordLocker is a part of The Nord Security brand which was established in 2012. It is a multinational security company with over 600 employees. NordLocker is not the only product that Nord Security offers to consumers. They have a wide range of products for personal and corporate use. The most recognizable product may be NordVPN, which is considered one of the best security software products available. NordLocker gives consumers many different options when it comes to data storage. So, it is up to the consumer to decide where they want their data to be stored. The basic level allows for data to be encrypted and stored in folders that are referred

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data. These bits come in three different sizes, and they are 64, 128, and 256. AES has a 128-bit block size and is divided into columns of 4x4 with 16 bytes. In the next step of AES 256 encryption, multiple round keys are recreated from the first key. During this step, the AES adds data that has been divided into blocks of 4x4. As stated previously AES –256 is looked at as one of the top algorithms and there are many reasons why this algorithm is one of the best if not the best. Some of the characteristics that have come up are AES–256 uses symmetric keys, and symmetric keys are a type of encryption that uses the same key for encrypting and decrypting. There are benefits to using symmetric keys. Some of those benefits include having a faster encryption speed, symmetric keys are good for internal or organizational data, symmetric keys are also good for encrypting large volumes of data, and they require less power to run calculations. Another reason that AES-256 is recommended for use is that many people feel that AES- 256 is one of the strongest encryption technologies. Security breaches are a nightmare for many companies. Specialists believe that AES-256 can stop a security breach from accessing sensitive data. AES-256 encryption helps to contain the spread of a security breach. Security breaches and data breaches are two different things. The security breach comes first and then the data breach. AES-256 encryption reduces the chances of a full-on data breach. AES-256 also has the possibility to help reduce the chances of ransomware attacks, compliance issues, and data theft. AES-256 is the most secure encryption technology. It is said to be military-grade encryption. Meaning that it is very strong and hard to pass through. We have discussed the algorithms and how NordLocker works but what are the pros and cons of NordLocker? According to www.restoreprivacy.com the pros and cons are: Pros Cons  Clean, drag-and-drop design No Linux or mobile clients.

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 Strong, end-to-end (zero-knowledge) encryption Doesn’t accept PayPal.  Cloud and desktop encrypted file storage  Same platform and cross-platform sync  No file size or type restrictions  HIPPA and GDPR compliant  Free, Premium, and Business plans available.  Open, edit, and save files directly in lockers.  New, lower price  Numerous payment options  30-day, money-back guarantee Researchers and consumers alike feel that NordLocker is one of the best encryption technologies and recommend its usage. As with anything, there will be those who enjoy the product and there will be those who do not enjoy the product, but it will all depend on the consumer and what they are looking for. The one constant that I have seen is that there is agreement that NordLocker provides a strong reliable product to protect sensitive data that corporations and individuals want protected. CertainSafe CertainSafe is often referred to as a Digital Safety Deposit Box, recently however they have declared that they will not be offering the safety deposit box anymore according to their website. CertainSafe is more about creating fully secured cloud storage for consumers’ and they have accomplished this task. With CertainSafe everything works in a cloud. Consumers do not have to do any installation of Windows or MacOS applications. The biggest standout for me with CertainSafe is that everything is highly protected and not even CertainSafe can look at your files. “The big feature here is the security though: zero-knowledge encryption means not even CertainSafe can look at your files. Through a series of clever security tricks, spreading encryption keys and your files across multiple locations, someone else getting access to your files is pretty much impossible – just make sure you don't forget your password because you won't be able to get back in without it. You must remember your password because if you don't

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with this App. Another con for me is that there are not enough reviews for the product. The available ones seem to be split and I would like to have more reviews to make a sound decision. CertainSafe is also missing on social media platforms. As a business, this is a downfall. Technology is only going to continue to grow and change and here we have a company that prides itself on encryption technology, but they are not promoting themselves as well as they should. The way that I located CertainSafe was through a Google search. And while that should be enough in my honest opinion it is not because I am sure that once this research paper has been completed I will forget about them. Nothing they have done has stood out and made me want to purchase or even use their product. CryptoExpert In my research, I was looking to find which programs were the best for encryption. We must understand that not all programs are created equally and when there is a lack of supporting evidence and research on these programs it makes me wonder how successful the program can be for consumers. This is the case with CyrptoExpert. It is not a bad program by any means but the standout for me is that there is no self-help or tutorials available and the platform itself is confusing. One of the best features they offer that I have not seen with others is that you can use a USB flash drive to remove keys that you do not want anyone to have access to so that is a good security measure. CryptoExpert has many beneficial features for its product. According to www.cryptoexpert-online.com, the main features of CryptoExpert are:  Secure Vaults of unlimited size (10 Gb and more).  Your choice of one of the highly acclaimed encryption algorithms, BLOWFISH, CAST, or 3DES, or the industry-standard AES-256 for ultimate data security  Transparent access to files and folders. Read and write encrypted files on the fly – no need to wait while your data is encrypted or decrypted.  Assign any available drive letters to unlocked vaults.

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 Create unlimited number of secure vaults.  No one can access protected data without a password.  Secure Vaults appear as local drives to all Windows applications.  Unlock vaults located on remote computers over LAN.  Share unlocked vaults between network users. CryptoExpert remembers all shares and restores them on vault lock/unlock.  Use USB flash drives to keep your unlock keys. Is it possible to protect these keys on USB flash drive with a single Master Password.  Compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 10, 8, and Windows 7. CryptoExpert creates encrypted storage vaults for consumers' important files. They offer two- factor authentication, which is what CertainSafe lacks. But CryptoExpert is lacking in some areas just like their competition. CryptoExpert does not have a secure deletion and there are constant error messages which can be very daunting for the consumer. Another con for CryptoExpert is the price, it's very expensive for what is offered. With those cons, it may be hard for consumers to flock to this application when others will provide more options and they have different packages for you to choose from. The algorithms that are used in CryptoExpert are Blowfish, CAST, 3DES, and AES-256. I have already gone over AES-256 when I discussed NordLocker. The Blowfish algorithm is considered one of the first algorithms to be a secure block cipher. It is not subject to any patents and can be used freely by anyone. And it is available for anyone to use. The block size is 64 bits, the key size is 32 bits to 448 bits, the number of subkeys is 18, the number of rounds is 16 and the number of substitution boxes is 4. Blowfish works in steps just as AES-256. The next Algorithm is the CAST. According to www.geeksforgeeks.org the cast algorithm is most used in IP security and follows the Fiestal structure. This structure divides the plain text into equal halves and then completes the encryption process. The CAST algorithm uses 128-bit blocks and key sizes of 128, 192, or 256 bits and 48 rounds. There are benefits to the

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Conclusion The resources that I used during this research paper were very beneficial because they informed readers on how the data encryption process works. By explaining in detail what happens from start to finish users have more knowledge on how their information is kept safe. By knowing the process users can determine which form of security they want. Whether is the simple version or the advanced version. Encryption technology while a topic that is not easy to understand 100%, is very important. Often when it comes to encryption technology many consumers view the cost of the product and decide based on that. However, what we need to be doing is deciding based on what each program offers. This is not easy for all consumers simply because most consumers are not privy to what the programs offer. I will use myself as an example. Typically, when I purchase my technology programs I look at how much I am paying and what they offer. If there is anything listed that I am unfamiliar with I will not attempt to understand I just assume that I will be ok. But having that knowledge and understanding of what each program does will change the option that you choose to purchase. Learning about algorithms and how they are used and what their purpose is has been very interesting. My father works in IT for the USDA, and I spoke with him about algorithms that they use and one of the ones that they also use is AES-256. He explained how it works and the difficulty they have with it sometimes, but he did reiterate how strong this encryption is. I have always found that Cyber Security and truly any form of IT can be daunting for me. It has never been of significant interest however after being in this course I realize how important it is to at least have a minimum amount of knowledge so that I can use the best services for me. I must be honest and say that I am still not 100% understanding how it all works however I am more

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understanding now than I was prior to this paper and even the class. Technology is forever evolving, and it does so quickly. I had only previously known about algorithms because of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok however I did not understand how they worked or the calculations. I have a bit more understanding now but it’s something that I will have to continue studying. These are just three of the encryption technology applications that are available. There are many more; MicrosoftOne Drive, AxCrypt, Secure It, and so many others. The one that you choose to use should be one that you are comfortable with. No matter which program you choose you will be getting the protection that you need and that is what matters most.