Global Encryption Trends 2022

Multi-cloud models

The desire for greater control of data distributed across multiple cloud environments was cited as a driver for this. These findings emerged from the latest Entrust Global Encryption Trends Study. The study, commissioned by Entrust and conducted by the Ponemon Institute, analyzes the various challenges and actions organizations are taking to combat cybersecurity threats.

According to the study, data protection in particular is being taken more seriously. Over the past few years, the surveys have already shown a steady increase in the use of enterprise-wide encryption. This year, however, there was a dramatic jump: The percentage of IT professionals whose company has a consistently applied encryption policy rose from 50 percent to 62 percent. Another positive finding in the report is reduced difficulty in implementing encryption policies, particularly in locating data (55 percent vs. 65 percent in 2021) and classifying it (27 percent vs. 34 percent).

The results clearly demonstrate that companies have not only recognized the security issues, but have also addressed them. But they also reveal gaps in the implementation of encryption solutions within certain sensitive categories. For example, only 34 percent of respondents in each case say they comprehensively encrypt data containers or IoP platforms, and only 31 percent for Big Data repositories. The situation is similar with hardware security modules (HSMs). While these are rated as an important part of an encryption and key management strategy by 63 percent of all respondents worldwide, half say they do not yet have HSMs. Thus, companies still have a long way to go.