While 2014 is being referred to as “The Year of Encryption,” it’s not a new concept – by a long shot.
Data encryption has been around for thousands of years. An early version dates all the way back to 50 B.C. when Julius Caesar used a simple encryption method to send private messages to his generals. Known as the “Caesar Cipher,” the encryption method involved substituting letters for another (A=D, B =E, etc.).
Okay, the Caesar Cipher doesn’t quite compare to current encryption standards, but it did spark a new way of keeping confidential information out of the hands of adversaries.
As the encryption journey continued, advancements in encryption took senders and receivers through complicated series of codes and cyphers, at times requiring complex mechanical and electromechanical machines, such as the Enigma Machine used in World War II.
Even in the 1970s when computers entered the equation, both the sender and receiver had to securely share the secret encryption/decryption key before encrypted messages could be unlocked.
Eventually, encryption expanded beyond an exclusive art practiced by military and government agencies. New cryptography advances, including Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Public Key Cryptology, Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Socket Layer (SSL), were introduced to enable businesses to protect online communications for everyday use.
Still, these encryption advances posed complexity, adding risks of security breaches and data theft.
Why 2014 is really the year of encryption
From ZixCorp’s perspective, 2014 is “The Year of Encryption” not because encryption itself is a new concept, but because there is finally a shift happening that brings secure, user-friendly encryption to the masses—and it’s right on time given the never-before-seen threats we’re encountering.
Leading organizations like Facebook and Google recently stepped up to make consumer email more secure, and today we’re showing our commitment to making business email secure by unveiling Zix Encryption Network.
Zix Encryption Network is a growing community, already 10,000 businesses strong, which enables the automatic exchange of encrypted email for all messages between members.
Once you are in the network, you can exchange encrypted emails without any additional steps. No passwords or portals – members simply send and receive email as they normally would and all messages leaving the network are automatically encrypted to other members, regardless of content.
Zix Encryption Network removes those pesky past barriers to securing email and has the infrastructure to support every single business worldwide, bringing a never before seen level of transparency and security to business email.
As the network grows, the more secure your business, customers and partners become.
Learn more about Zix Encryption Network and how you can be part of the world’s largest and most secure email encryption network.