Encryption: How It Protects Your Data

Protecting sensitive information has never been more important, or more difficult. Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for weaknesses they can exploit, hoping to gain access to information they can misuse or sell for a profit.

Financial information, medical records, and even login credentials are frequent targets of data thieves. For businesses that handle large amounts of data, even a single breach can result in identity theft, financial losses, and lasting reputational damage.

Encryption is one of the strongest tools available to guard against these threats. At SecureScan, we often highlight the security benefits of digitizing records, and encryption is an important part of that process. But what is encryption exactly, and how does it protect your data?

In this article, we’ll break it down step by step, explaining what encryption is, how it works, and why it’s a valuable layer of protection for your digital files.

What is Encryption?

Encryption is a process that protects digital information by scrambling it using a long string of characters. That same string is needed to unscramble the file and return it to its original form. Without it, the contents appear garbled and unreadable, offering no useful information to anyone who tries to access it.

Encryption relies on mathematical formulas that turn plain, understandable data into coded text, and back again. As a result, even if someone manages to get hold of an encrypted file, they won’t be able to make sense of it without the key and the correct decryption process.

How Does Encryption Work?

Encryption works by combining two important elements: algorithms and encryption keys.

An encryption algorithm is a mathematical formula that transforms readable data, known as plaintext, into scrambled data, known as ciphertext. The algorithm uses an encryption key, a long, randomized string of characters, to determine exactly how the information will be scrambled. Without the right key to unscramble, an encrypted file is nothing more than random text.

Here are a few examples of what encryption keys might look like. These are randomly generated for illustration purposes only:

Notice how the length and complexity vary. The longer and more complex a key is, the harder it is for anyone to break the encryption through guessing or brute force methods.

The process works in two steps. First, the algorithm uses the encryption key to scramble the original data into ciphertext. Then, when the correct key is applied again with the algorithm, the transformation is reversed, restoring the data to its original readable form.

There are two main approaches to encryption:

Symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encrypting and decrypting. This makes it fast and efficient for large amounts of data, though it requires a secure way to share the key between parties.

Asymmetric encryption relies on two separate keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. The public key can be shared freely, while the private key remains a secret. This setup avoids the problem of sharing a single key and provides an added layer of security.

By combining these methods with strong keys and algorithms, encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read or misused without proper authorization.

Protecting Your Scanned Documents with Encryption

While your documents are being scanned, protecting the sensitive information they contain is our top priority. That same standard of protection should continue once they’re converted into digital files. Encryption helps ensure this by adding an additional safeguard that prevents files from being accessed or misused if they ever fall into the wrong hands. Some of the main benefits of encrypting your files include:

Protecting Confidential Information

Scanned documents often contain highly sensitive data, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI). By encrypting these files, you make sure the information remains unreadable to unauthorized parties, even in the event a digital copy is lost, stolen, or intercepted.

Keeping Your Records Accurate

When your documents are converted to digital files, it’s important to know they’ll stay exactly as they were scanned. Encryption helps preserve the integrity of your records by protecting them from unauthorized edits or tampering, so contracts, financial reports, and other critical files remain reliable long after they’re stored.

Helping You Comply with Regulatory Standards

If your business handles personal or sensitive information, you’re expected to keep it safe, and regulators take that responsibility seriously. Encrypting your scanned documents is one of the most effective ways to meet these requirements. With data locked down and accessible only to authorized users, encryption helps you stay compliant, avoid costly penalties, and strengthen your reputation for protecting client and customer information.

Working Together With Other Security Tools

Encryption is powerful on its own, but it’s even more effective when combined with other security measures. For example, access controls, things like usernames, passwords, or role-based permissions, help ensure that only the right people can open your files in the first place. Adding end-to-end encryption means that even if those files are shared or transferred, the information inside stays protected from anyone who isn’t authorized to see it.

By layering security, you create multiple barriers against data breaches. Even if one layer is tested, the others remain in place to keep your information secure.

Protect Your Sensitive Records With SecureScan

Encryption adds an important layer of protection to your digital records, but it works best as part of a bigger security strategy. At SecureScan, we pair strong encryption with security-first processes and more than 22 years of document scanning experience, so your information stays protected at every stage.

We also recognize that no two organizations face the same challenges. That’s why we take the time to understand your situation and design solutions that safeguard your sensitive documents not only during the scanning process, but for years to come.

If you want to learn more about how scanning can help you keep your records secure, contact us to speak with one of our scanning technicians today.