In this lesson, we're going to discuss
some various encryption tools that are employed
to protect our enterprise networks and systems.
These encryption tools include things like the TPM, HSM,
key management systems, and secure enclaves.
And all of these play a crucial role in ensuring
the data security and integrity that is occurring
across all of our different platforms and environments.
First, let's talk about TPM, or the trusted platform module.
At its core, the trusted platform module, or TPM,
is a dedicated microcontroller that's designed to secure
hardware through integrated cryptographic keys.
TPMs are going to offer hardware level security that ensures
that digital secrets remain confidential and unaltered.
Think of it as a vault that ensures the information
is remaining encrypted, so that the system remains
safeguarded from unauthorized access or potential tampering.
One of the common uses of the trusted platform module
is with the BitLocker drive encryption feature
found inside of your Windows operating system.
By securing the cryptographic keys
inside the isolated hardware, we add an additional layer
of security against software-based attacks.
Second, we have the HSM,
also known as the hardware security module.
Now, if our TPM is like a personal vault,
an HSM is like a high security bank vault.
It is a physical device that safeguards and manages
digital keys, and is primarily used
for mission critical situations like financial transactions.
A hardware security module will perform
encryption operations within a tamper-proof environment,
and this makes it a reliable
choice for sensitive operations.
Not only does the hardware security module
securely generate cryptographic keys,
but it also can provide accelerated cryptographic operations
all within a tamper-resistant hardware device.
Companies will often rely on hardware security modules
to meet regulatory compliance standards,
especially when they deal with highly sensitive data.
For example, if an online retailer needed to make sure
that each transaction is encrypted using keys generated
and stored within their HSM, this could ensure
that even if the retailer system or databases were breached,
the financial details about each transaction
would remain safely encrypted due to the individual keys
that are used by that hardware security module
when encrypting that data that we're protecting,
using the system's encryption processes.
Third, we have the key management system.
Now, keys in the world of cryptography
are really the lifeblood of the encryption process.
And there are numerous keys that are going to be in play
at any given time, and so it becomes imperative
to have a system that manages, stores, distributes.
And, when the time comes, retires or deletes these keys.
This is where the key management system comes into play.
A key management system, also known as a KMS,
is an integrated approach for generating,
distributing, and managing cryptographic keys
for devices and applications.
The key management system is a centralized mechanism
that controls the entire lifecycle
of these cryptographic keys, from inception or creation
to their eventual retirement and destruction.
With the ever-growing cybersecurity challenges
that are out there, having a robust key management system
is really essential to preventing
unauthorized access to your data.
For example, if you're working for a digital media company
with a requirement for a vast amount of cloud storage
that needs to store all of your multimedia content,
project files, contracts, and more, you want to ensure
that each of those files is encrypted for security.
Now, managing the unique encryption keys
for each of these countless files manually
would be a Herculean task,
but with the key management system,
you can ensure the system automatically manages those keys
and refreshes them periodically to enhance security.
And to ensure that older keys are safely retired
when new ones are being created
and introduced into your system.
Fourth and finally, we need to cover secure enclaves.
Now, the secure enclave is a co-processor that's integrated
into the main processor of some devices, and it's designed
with the sole purpose of ensuring data protection.
Its architecture is such that it's isolated
from the main processor and provides a shielded location
for safe processing and storage of your sensitive data.
I like to think about it like a fortress
inside of your device, and it safeguards
sensitive information like your fingerprints,
facial recognition data, and Apple Pay info.
By keeping this data separate from the main processor,
even if the device gets compromised,
the data within the secure enclave remains untouched.
For example, most people are familiar with Apple's iPhone
and its features like Face ID,
or the older version Touch ID.
Behind the scenes of these two features though
was the secure enclave in action.
When the user sets up a facial ID scan,
the facial recognition data is going to be stored inside
the secure enclave and it will never leave the device.
So even if somebody gains access to the phone, the data
within the isolated environment will remain untouched.
This guarantees that only after a successful biometric match
within the secure enclave happens
that your device will be unlocked,
and this makes it nearly impossible
for unauthorized access to occur on those devices.
So remember, understanding these encryption tools
and how they work is pivotal in today's digital age.
As cybersecurity threats evolve and grow in complexity,
the importance of robust and efficient
encryption mechanisms cannot be overstated.
First, we have the trusted platform module,
which we commonly call the TPM,
and this is a dedicated microcontroller designed to secure
hardware through integrated cryptographic keys,
and offers hardware level security to ensure
the digital secrets remain confidential and unaltered.
A hardware security module, or HSM,
is a physical computing device that safeguards and manages
digital keys for storing authentication,
that performs encryption operations
within a tamper-proof environment.
A key management system, or KMS, is an integrated
and centralized approach to generating, distributing,
and managing cryptographic keys for your devices
and applications across the entire lifecycle
of these cryptographic keys, from creation to destruction.
And the secure enclave is a co-processor that's integrated
into the main processor of some devices,
and it's designed with the sole purpose
of ensuring data protection that isolates the co-processor
from the main processor, to provide a shielded location
for the safe processing and storage of sensitive data.
Also, as the technology continues to advance,
it is really important that you keep yourself up to date
on the latest tools and techniques
to best protect your systems and networks.