The Top 8 Cloud Encryption Solutions
Discover the best cloud encryption solutions for business with features including key management, user authentication, and reporting.
Written by Caitlin Harris
Technical Review by Laura Iannini
-
1.
AxCrypt Business
-
2.
IBM Security Guardium
-
3.
Micro Focus Voltage
-
4.
Nord Security NordLocker
-
5.
Steganos Data Safe
Cloud encryption solutions encrypt data stored in (or moving between) cloud environments so that it can only be read by someone with the key to decode the information. A complex algorithm encrypts the data, turning it into ciphertext—which looks like a scramble of random letters and numbers. The data is then either stored securely in its ciphertext format until the owner enters a password called a decryption key to decrypt it. Alternatively, in the case of a message, the ciphertext is sent to the message recipient, who has the decryption key and can make sense of the message. Decryption changes the scrambled ciphertext back into plaintext, so it once again becomes readable.
Encrypting your organization’s cloud data means that if an attacker gains access to it, they won’t be able to actually read it. This can not only help mitigate your business’ risk of a data breach, but it can also help you achieve (and prove) compliance with data protection standards. Some regulatory bodies expect specific types of data – such as PII, PHI, or payment card information—to be stored in specific ways.
Ensuring that your encryption solution conforms to regulatory expectations can help you avoid hefty fines and litigation fees if you do suffer a cyberattack. But saving on compliance fines isn’t the only way encryption can help you save money. By allowing you to securely send, sign, and store documents virtually, encryption reduces the need for hard copies, meaning that you can save on printing and postage costs.
The best encryption solutions use FIPS-certified encryption standards to encrypt your data—at the time of creation. AES 128-, 192- and 256-bit are considered the most secure. Encryption solutions will use either use a symmetric encryption algorithm, in which the encryption and decryption keys are the same, or asymmetric encryption algorithm, in which the keys are linked, but different. An asymmetric algorithm is more secure, although it does take longer to encode that a symmetric algorithm.
Some cloud encryption solutions also offer additional security and management features, such as centralized key storage, integrations with your existing user management tools, and a self-service portal for end users to encrypt their data.
In this article, we’ll explore the top cloud encryption solutions for business. We’ll look at features such as encryption methods, key management, user management and authentication, and reporting. We’ll give you some background information on each provider and the key features of their solution, as well as the type of customer that they are most suitable for.
AxCrypt Business
AxCrypt is an encryption provider headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Their user-friendly encryption platform is trusted by individuals and organizations in 55 countries around the world, and has had over 20 million downloads. AxCrypt Business is their business-oriented platform that enables small businesses and teams to store and share on-prem and cloud data more securely.
AxCrypt Business Features:
- AES 128-bit or 256-bit file encryption
- Cloud storage integrations, with the ability to encrypt data stored in OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox, as well as syncing encrypted folders to the cloud
- Secure file sharing for on-prem files using public-key cryptography, with end-users able to download free “Viewer” software to decrypt shared files
- In-built password manager – this enables users to securely store and manage passwords and decryption keys
- Support for 13 languages
- Compatible with Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS devices
Plans And Pricing: AxCrypt offers a one-month free trial of their Business plan. After that, AxCrypt Business is available for £10/user/month when billed monthly, or £8/user/month when billed annually. Their Business package includes enterprise encryption and administration, business priority support, a masker encryption key, and encryption for mobile devices.
Expert Insights’ Comments: AxCrypt is a straightforward encryption tool that enables organizations to secure files stored in the cloud or locally on their users’ endpoints. The platform is easy to deploy using the installation wizard and, once set up, offers a simple drag-and-drop interface for uploading, encrypting, and sharing files. This platform doesn’t offer granular levels of management or out-of-the-box compliance support, but it does provide a strong, reliable way for users to encrypt their data. As such, we recommend AxCrypt Business for SMBs looking to improve their file security.
AxCrypt Business
IBM Security Guardium
IBM is a global cybersecurity provider based in Armonk, New York, which offers a comprehensive range of solutions for IT infrastructure and management, software development, and analytics. Guardium is IBM’s adaptive data visibility, compliance, and security portfolio; within that portfolio, Guardium Data Encryption is their suite of enterprise encryption and key management solutions that secure data across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments.
IBM Security Guardium Features:
- On-prem and cloud data discovery and classification, including info such as who has access to which data and what they can do with it
- Encryption of on-prem and cloud-based files, databases, and applications
- Centralized key management for cloud data, with automatic key rotation
- Data access audit logs
- De-identification of data (e.g., masking of data in use and tokenization of data at rest) helps to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations
- Real-time activity monitoring, alerting, with the ability to quarantine suspicious user IDs
- Out-of-the-box compliance templates for GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CCPA, and SOX to help streamline compliance workflows and reporting
Plans And Pricing: IBM Security offers seven products under Guardium Data Encryption. Of these, Guardium for File and Database Encryption, Guardium for Tokenization, Guardium for Application Encryption, Guardium for Container Encryption, and Guardium for Batch Data Transformation offer cloud data encryption. All Guardium products can be deployed independently or combined and managed via one central, web-based interface. Pricing is available from IBM upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Guardium Data Encryption is a sophisticated encryption suite that offers lots of flexibility in terms of data types, environment supported, and granular levels of customization for user access and compliance policies. We recommend Guardium as a strong cloud encryption solution for larger enterprises that want to ensure the integrity of their data across a diverse environment, and automate compliance controls. The product is well suited to organizations who already use IBM products thanks to the effective integration and centralized management.
IBM Security Guardium
Micro Focus Voltage
Acquired by OpenText in 2023, Micro Focus is a leading provider of IT software designed to help businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Headquartered in Newbury, England, they provide solutions for application delivery and modernization, IT operations, data analytics and governance, and cyber resiliency. CyberRes Voltage is their data protection and privacy portfolio within the CyberRes cybersecurity suite.
Micro Focus Voltage Features:
- Discovers and inventories data, with context-aware discovery of high-value or sensitive data such as PII and PHI
- Encryption of on-prem, cloud, and multi-cloud data at rest, in transit, and in use
- Data de-identification through masking, tokenization, and anonymization, to help comply with data privacy regulations
- Access monitoring and reporting with user behavior analytics and risk scoring
- Granular policy configurations to protect data throughout the entire lifecycle, with policies based on risk, content type, age, user permissions, etc.
Plans And Pricing: Micro Focus offers several products within the CyberRes Voltage portfolio. SecureData Enterprise, SecureData for Big Data, and SecureData Cloud all offer cloud data encryption. Pricing is available from Micro Focus CyberRes upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: CyberRes Voltage is more than a traditional data encryption solution; it offers a wide range of data governance, monitoring, and protection features designed to help secure your data at every stage of its lifecycle—from discovery and classification to defensible deletion. We recommend Micro Focus’ solution to larger enterprises looking to, not only, secure their cloud data with encryption, but also gain insights into their data (e.g., who is using it and where it’s residing). The solution allows organizations to implement granular policies for data access and usage.
Micro Focus Voltage
Nord Security NordLocker
Nord Security is a market-leading digital privacy and security provider headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania. NordLocker is their web-based file security solution, which enables businesses of all sizes (as well as individual users) to secure and backup up their files within an encrypted vault.
Nord Security NordLocker Features:
- End-to-end encryption built on a zero-knowledge architecture; AES 256-bit for files and filenames, xChaCha20-Poly1305 for keychains and identities, and Ed25519 for digital signatures
- Secure local and cloud data storage, with the ability to sync data across different devices
- Native, automatic cloud backup (with encrypted backups for maximum security)
- In-built multi-factor authentication (MFA) for user accounts
- Secure file sharing via link and unique access code
- Drag and drop interface for encrypting files
- Available via a web, desktop, or mobile app for ease of use and accessibility
Plans And Pricing: NordLocker offers two enterprise plans. Business 500 GB is available for $8.99/user/month billed annually or $12.99/user/month billed monthly, and includes 500 GB cloud storage, end-to-end encryption, access controls, file management, private sharing, and 24/7 support. Business Plus 2 TB is available for $14.99/user/month billed annually or $18.99/user/month billed monthly, and increases cloud storage to 2 TB.
Expert Insights’ Comments: NordLocker is a highly intuitive encryption solution that offers strong levels of security via a user-friendly, accessible interface. The platform’s web app, cloud storage, and device sync make it easy for users to secure, share, or access files remotely, without compromising on security. In addition to comprehensive encryption capabilities, the solution’s backup and MFA features ensure the integrity of user data. We recommend NordLocker to any sized organization looking to secure their on-prem and cloud data – particularly those with remote or hybrid users who may need to access their files from multiple locations.
Nord Security NordLocker
Steganos Data Safe
Steganos is a provider of data privacy and security software headquartered in Berlin, Germany. They offer a range of security solutions, including an enterprise VPN, a password manager, and a data encryption platform called Data Safe. Data Safe enables business to protect their data against unauthorized access by storing it in a secure, encrypted vault.
Steganos Data Safe Features:
- AES-XEX encryption (384-bit) of data in cloud storage such as Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive, as well as data stored on endpoints, removable hard drives, and on-prem
- AES-NI hardware acceleration for enhanced encryption performance and speed
- Storage of up to 2 TB data with in a secure, encrypted vault
- File shredder for permanent deletion of the original, unencrypted copies of data
- Seamless integration with Windows environments
- Support for two-factor authentication via integrations with popular MFA solutions, including Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, and Google Authenticator
Plans And Pricing: Steganos Data Safe is available as a standalone product or as part of the Steganos Privacy Suite, which also offers a password manager. Standalone, Data Safe costs $34.99/year for five devices. For custom pricing, contact Steganos directly.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Steganos Data Safe stores your data in a secure, encrypted vault. The platform supports encryption of a broad range of data types, and enables users to encrypt all of their data, no matter where it’s stored, from a single interface. Data Safe is straightforward to set up and, once installed, the vault is easy to navigate, with a familiar disk drive-style interface. We recommend Steganos’ solution as a simple, yet strong option for SMBs looking to encrypt their sensitive cloud data.
Steganos Data Safe
Thales CDSP
Headquartered in Paris, France, Thales is a cloud data security provider that offers a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity solutions, including user and machine identity verification, access authorization, data discovery, and encryption. The CipherTrust Data Security Platform (CDSP) is Thales’ cloud encryption solution, which combines data discovery and classification, encryption, access controls, and key management to protect sensitive on-prem and cloud data.
Thales CDSP Features:
- Discovery and classification of files, databases, and big data stored on-prem, in the cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, MS Azure, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, etc.), and across backups
- File-level, application-layer, and database encryption (AES), with masking and tokenization to anonymize data in line with privacy and compliance requirements
- Leverages AES-NI and IBM POWER for enhanced encryption speed
- FIPS 140-2 compliant key management, with central management of cryptographic keys and encryption policies
- Access monitoring, with reporting on (un)authorized access to data and encryption keys
- User and privileged admin access policies
- Comprehensive audit trails of encryption activity (both cloud and on-prem) across the entire environment for compliance and security monitoring
Plans And Pricing: Pricing for the CipherTrust Data Security Platform is available from Thales upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Thales CDSP is an advanced encryption platform that offers strong levels of protection for data in on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments, as well as high levels of visibility into how data is being used (and by whom) across the organization. The platform’s reporting capabilities are robust, with full audit trails that, combined with its anonymization features, make it well-suited to organizations that need to prove compliance with strict data privacy and protection regulations. Overall, we recommend Thales CDSP as a strong solution for larger enterprises looking to protect sensitive data within a heterogeneous environment.
Thales CDSP
Trellix Data Encryption
In 2021, FireEye and McAfee Enterprise merged and rebranded as Trellix. Now headquartered in California, Trellix offers a comprehensive suite of security and intelligence solutions for on-prem, cloud, and multi-cloud environments. Trellix Data Encryption enables IT teams to protect company data stored in cloud environments, on endpoints, removable hard drives, and on shared servers, against malicious actors by rendering it unreadable to anyone but legitimate, authorized users.
Trellix Data Encryption Features:
- FIPS 140-2 and Common Criteria EAL2+ certified encryption
- Encryption of data moving to cloud storage environments including OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox, plus full-disk, file and folder, email, and removable media encryption
- Detailed reporting on encryption activities, which can be used to identify any anomalous activity or to prove compliance
- Multi-factor authentication (including smartcard authentication)
- Active Directory, Novell DNS, and PKI integrations for easier user management and security policy synchronization
- Central admin console for easier policy management (including BitLocker and FileVault 2 management for endpoint encryption)
Pricing And Plans: Trellix Data Encryption is available within two products. File and Removable Media Protectionenables teams to encrypt data in cloud storage environments, files, folders, and removable media. Management of Native Encryption allows IT and security teams to build and manage universal data protection policies using the native encryption on their devices (e.g., BitLocker and FileVault). Pricing is available via Trellix upon request.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Trellix Data Encryption offers endpoint encryption (compatible with Windows and MacOS devices) and cloud encryption (supporting most popular enterprise cloud storage environments) via one platform. It also offers robust reporting functionality, making it suitable for organizations looking for an encryption solution that will help them prove compliance with data protection standards. Overall, we recommend Trellix Data Encryption to larger enterprises looking for a unified solution for encrypting cloud and endpoint data.
Trellix Data Encryption
Virtru
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Virtru is a cybersecurity provider that specializes in cloud-based data encryption. Their eponymous platform empowers businesses to secure, control, and monitor user access to sensitive data across cloud data storage platforms, email clients, and collaboration app suites.
Virtru Features:
- Encryption of data stored in Google Workspace (inc. Gmail), Microsoft 365 (inc. Outlook), and SaaS applications (inc. Salesforce, Zendesk, and Looker)
- Granular, attribute-based user access controls that can be filtered by user, group, operational unit, or data range
- Data loss prevention policies for automatic detection and encryption of sensitive information
- Self-hosted, Virtru-hosted, and HSM key management options
- Intuitive end user interface, with options to encrypt and securely share data, as well as revoke access, set access expiration dates, and disable forwarding
- Comprehensive audit trails compliant for HIPAA, GDPR, and FERPA
Plans And Pricing: Virtru is available via three packages. Starter ($87/user/month) is best suited to small teams that need to encrypt their data to prove compliance with data protection regulations. Business ($187/user/month, min five users), is best suited to mid-sized to larger organizations looking for advanced management functionality and compliance support. Enterprise (custom pricing) is best suited to large enterprises with advanced data protection requirements, such as hosting their own encryption keys and further audit functionality. Note, these prices reflect annual billing.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Virtru is quick to deploy, and offers an intuitive, navigable interface that simplifies ongoing management. The platform doesn’t compromise security in the name of usability. Virtru offers a robust security feature set, with strong support for auditing and compliance requirements. We recommend Virtru as a strong cloud data encryption platform form mid-sized businesses and larger enterprises looking to secure their cloud data against unauthorized access, whilst ensuring compliance with strict industry and federal data protection standards.
Virtru
FAQs
Everything You Need To Know About Cloud Encryption (FAQs)
Encryption is a process that encodes data into an illegible, secure format called ciphertext. Ciphertext can’t be read by humans or computers; it appears as a seemingly random scramble of characters.
To turn data from its original plaintext format into ciphertext, you use an encryption key. This is a very long string of numbers that explains to the encryption solution how to the data should be encoded. To convert it back into plaintext, you use a decryption key. This key should only be known to the person that encrypted the data. As long as the key remains secure, nobody but the data’s owner (or, in the case of sharing data, its intended recipient) can read the encrypted data.
This ensures that data remains secure, even if your environment is breached by a cybercriminal.
Cloud encryption specifically refers to protecting data in the cloud. Usually, cloud encryption solutions secure data at rest, (i.e., being stored in cloud storage or a cloud data center), and data in transit, (i.e., travelling between two destinations, usually outside a secure network).
Most cloud encryption solutions fall into two main categories: symmetric or asymmetric encryption.
Symmetric encryption, such as the AES protocol, uses the same key to both encrypt and decrypt the data. For example, if you encoded the word “data” by moving all of the letters three characters ahead in the alphabet, your ciphertext would be “gdwd”, and you could to the opposite to decode it back into plaintext. Symmetric encryption protocols are often very long and complex, which makes them very secure. They’re also simple to implement, which enables data to be encrypted quickly.
However, because symmetric encryption uses one key, it’s important that you take care not to share that key or, if you do share it, to do so securely. Otherwise, if an attacker intercepts it, they’ll be able to decode all of your encrypted data.
Asymmetric encryption, such as the ECC and DSA protocols, works by using a pair of keys: a “public” (shareable) key and a “private” (personal) key. The Public key encrypts the data, whole the Personal key decrypts it.
Asymmetric encryption is less vulnerable to interception because private keys never need to be shared. Unless you have access to this key, there is no way to access your data. However, this type of solution is generally slower than symmetric encryption.
In today’s digital world, the question is no longer whether your organization will be targeted by a cyberattack, but when it will be targeted.
With cyberthreats becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s becoming increasingly likely that an attacker will not only be able to target your network, but they’ll be able to breach it successfully. If that happens, you need to make sure that your data stays secure. Encryption can help you do that by ensuring that an attacker can’t read your organization’s data, even if they gain access to your network. This also means they can’t hold your data ransom or sell it on the dark web.
Alongside improved data security, there are a several other benefits to implementing an encryption solution:
- They can help you meet (and prove) compliance requirements for data protection, such as FIPS, HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI-DSS.
- They can help increase trust in your organization by proving to your customers and partners that you take their data privacy seriously.
- They ensure the integrity of your data by protecting it from being altered or manipulated by internal and external actors.
- In some cases, they can mitigate the effects of a breach by absolving you of the need to disclose that a breach occurred, reducing legal action and reputational damage.
We recommend that all organizations consider implementing an encryption solution to protect their data. However, encryption is most critical for organizations working with highly sensitive data—such as personal information, health information, or payment information—or within highly regulated industries.
Encryption is a highly secure method of protecting your cloud data at rest and while in transit. However, while encryption can offer lots of benefits, it’s important to remember that—like all aspects of cybersecurity—it has its vulnerabilities. Your data is only as secure as your decryption key. If an attacker were to compromise a user’s device, they could access that key and decrypt all that user’s data. It’s important that you also implement strong endpoint protection measures alongside any encryption solution to ensure your data security. These additional measures might include:
- Endpoint security (including antivirus and anti-malware)
- Multi-factor authentication
- Endpoint detection and response
- Mobile device management
Written By
Caitlin Harris is Deputy Head of Content at Expert Insights. Caitlin is an experienced writer and journalist, with years of experience producing award-winning technical training materials and journalistic content. Caitlin holds a First Class BA in English Literature and German, and provides our content team with strategic editorial guidance as well as carrying out detailed research to create articles that are accurate, engaging and relevant. Caitlin co-hosts the Expert Insights Podcast, where she interviews world-leading B2B tech experts.
Technical Review
Laura Iannini is an Information Security Engineer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity from the University of West Florida. Laura has experience with a variety of cybersecurity platforms and leads technical reviews of leading solutions. She conducts thorough product tests to ensure that Expert Insights’ reviews are definitive and insightful.