What Is 256-bit AES Encryption and Why Do You Need It
Encryption serves as the cornerstone of modern internet security. Through intricate mathematical processes, sensitive information undergoes scrambling, transforming it into code. Only those with the correct key can unveil the original data, ensuring its security from unauthorized access, safeguarding it exclusively for permitted entities.
The most stringent encryption requisites aren't set by corporations but by the U.S. government. When national security is at stake, robust measures ensure data remains impervious. Federal agencies safeguard top-secret information using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Originally a government choice, AES encryption evolved into the industry norm. With 128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit versions, AES-256 now stands as the pinnacle of security.
What Is AES-256
AES-256, as its name implies, employs a 256-bit key length, both encrypts and decrypts message blocks through 14 rounds of 256-bit keys. These rounds involve substitution, transposition, and mixing of plaintext, transforming it into ciphertext.
Originally sanctioned by the National Security Agency (NSA) to safeguard secret and top-secret government information, AES has emerged as an industry standard for data encryption. It's an open standard, adaptable for public, private, commercial, and non-commercial uses.
Military-Grade Unbreakable Encryption
Some hail AES-256 as unbreakable through brute force, but the truth lies in the enormity of time and computational power required. While theoretically crackable with extraordinary resources, it would take around 10 to 18 years to breach AES-256 encryption. This renders data protected by AES 256 practically impervious for the foreseeable future, assuming key confidentiality remains intact.
In the realm of encryption, AES-256 operates using symmetric keys, employing the same key for both encryption and decryption. AES-256 is the epitome of symmetric-based encryption, known for its robustness.
- Faster encryption speed
- Good for internal or organizational data
- Excellent for encrypting large volumes of data
- Requires less computational power to run/manage
The Most Secure Encryption
Given the looming advent of quantum computers, the consensus is clear: AES-256 presents the quintessential choice for constructing a secure file transfer infrastructure. Its complexity stumps hackers, necessitating attempting an astronomical 2^256 combinations, an inconceivably vast number exceeding the count of observable universe's atoms.
Other than practical business data storage applications of AES-256, other industries also utilize the strength of AES-256. The Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program (CAVP) within FIPS ensures encryption standards' integrity, pivotal in data security. AES-256, acknowledged as military-grade encryption, aligns seamlessly with public sector demands due to CAVP's rigorous verification, solidifying its reliability for safeguarding sensitive information in government and public domains.
While many technology solutions deploy AES-256 encryption, it must be deployed within a FIPS 140-validated module to meet compliance, thereby restricting certain solutions from meeting compliance for the public sector. Buffalo Terastation 71210RH and 5020 series are FIPS 140 CAVP Validation Pending. Buffalo Windows Server IoT TeraStation Series can be FIPS-validated via setting the Windows Server operating system in a FIPS 140-2 approved mode of operation.
Protect Your Data with the Strongest Security
While cyber breaches indeed pose substantial threats, leveraging AES-256 significantly fortifies your defense. Statistically, a staggering 60% of small businesses succumb within six months of a cyber-attack. However, there exists a considerable gap between a breach occurring and a business shutting down, affording room for mitigation and recovery efforts.
Buffalo TeraStations utilize AES-256 to encrypt drives, preventing data from being read on them once they are removed from the TeraStation's chassis. Even if the drives are inserted into another TeraStation, data stored on it cannoy be accessed. Combined with robust data security technologies such as two-factor authentication and a closed system, Buffalo NAS are the most secure NAS on the market.