THALES GLOSSARY

What is Data Encryption?

Encryption transforms sensitive data (e.g., name, address) into an unreadable format known as ciphertext using a mathematical algorithm and a secret key. Encryption can only be reversed by authorized parties who possess the corresponding decryption key. Ciphertext can be a mixture of numbers, characters and symbols and typically requires more storage space than format-preserving tokens.

Enterprise data encryption with centralized control

Whether storing data in a physical data center, private or public cloud, or third‑party storage application, strong encryption and key management are essential to protect sensitive data.

Our CipherTrust Data Security Platform delivers enterprise data encryption for data at rest, in motion, and in use—combining transparent encryption, tokenization, and role‑based access controls across databases, applications, APIs, files, and storage containers. Centralized key management and a hardened root of trust help enterprises protect master keys and keep data secure.

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Enterprise-grade data encryption that scales with your business

Protect sensitive data everywhere with unified encryption, key management, and centralized controls across hybrid environments.

Comply with regulations

Meet global data protection and privacy requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS with encryption and key management designed to support audits, reporting, and policy enforcement—helping teams demonstrate compliance while reducing operational burden.

Reduce breach risk

Protect sensitive data from insider threats, ransomware, and compromised credentials with strong encryption and tokenization. Keep data protected even if attackers gain access, minimizing exposure and reducing the impact of security incidents.

Secure data on premises and across clouds

Apply consistent data protection across on‑premises, hybrid, and multi‑cloud environments. Eliminate security gaps as data moves between platforms, while maintaining control and flexibility to support modern enterprise architectures.

Streamline encryption operations

Simplify encryption management with a unified platform for keys, policies, and controls. Reduce complexity, eliminate silos, and scale data protection efficiently as environments, data volumes, and compliance demands expand.

Control data sprawl

Gain visibility into where sensitive data lives across structured and unstructured environments. Discover, classify, and monitor data to eliminate blind spots, reduce risk, and maintain control as data volumes and locations continue to grow.

Enforce access controls

Ensure only authorized users and applications can access sensitive data using role‑based access controls and centrally managed policies. Enforce least‑privilege access consistently to reduce misuse, insider risk, and unauthorized exposure.

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Forrester Total Economic Impact of Thales CipherTrust Data Security Platform

Cost Savings and Business Benefits Enabled by the CipherTrust Data Security Platform

Prior to implementing CipherTrust Platform, we struggled with encrypting and tokenizing data spread across such a complex IT landscape, but CipherTrust Platform has made it possible to centralize all encryption and key management across all platforms.”

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How organizations prevent data exposure with CipherTrust Data Security Platform

Databases

Encrypt enterprise databases without application changes

Protect sensitive data stored in enterprise databases using CipherTrust Transparent Encryption, a data‑at‑rest encryption solution that secures database files without modifying applications or schemas. Maintain performance while protecting regulated and sensitive data.

APIs & Services

Secure data exchanged through APIs and services

Protect sensitive data in motion as it flows between applications, services, and microservices using CipherTrust Application Data Protection. Secure API requests and responses without rewriting application code, ensuring encrypted data exchange across modern architectures.

Non‑Production Data

Protect production data copied into non‑production environments

Prevent exposure when production data is copied into development, testing, analytics, or AI training environments. Use CipherTrust Transparent Encryption and CipherTrust Data Masking to protect sensitive data while supporting safe data reuse.

Data Sharing

Publish usable datasets without exposing sensitive fields

Enable secure data sharing by removing sensitive information before datasets are distributed. Apply CipherTrust Data Masking and Redaction to permanently mask PII and confidential fields across databases, files, and analytics datasets.

Access Control

Control access to cleartext data in shared systems

Limit who can view sensitive data in cleartext across enterprise databases and applications. Use CipherTrust Key Management and policy‑based controls to reveal, mask, or encrypt data based on user role, application, or context.

Security that integrates with your technology ecosystem

With one of the industry’s largest cyber security technology ecosystems, Thales solutions integrate with the most widely used technologies to protect and secure access to your mission-critical applications and data.

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Frequently asked questions

How does encryption help protect against ransomware attacks?

Encryption helps organizations reduce the impact of ransomware by preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data and limiting the usefulness of stolen information. When combined with centralized key management, access controls, and security monitoring, encryption creates multiple layers of defense that help organizations maintain control of critical data even if systems are compromised.

What is the difference between encryption, tokenization, and data masking?

Encryption converts sensitive information into unreadable ciphertext that can be restored with a cryptographic key. Tokenization replaces sensitive data with non-sensitive tokens, while data masking hides or obscures specific information from users. Organizations often use these technologies together to protect data, reduce compliance scope, and secure sensitive information across applications, databases, and cloud environments.

How can organizations maintain control of encryption keys in multi-cloud environments?

Organizations can maintain control of encryption keys across multiple cloud providers through centralized key management. This approach allows security teams to enforce consistent policies, manage key lifecycles, support compliance requirements, and reduce dependence on cloud-provider-managed keys. Centralized key management also improves visibility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Why is encryption important for AI and analytics workloads?

AI, machine learning, and analytics platforms often process large volumes of sensitive business and customer data. Encryption helps protect that data during storage and processing while supporting privacy regulations and internal security policies. Organizations increasingly use encryption and centralized key management to secure AI training data, analytics environments, and cloud-based data pipelines.

How do organizations choose the right encryption approach for different types of data?

The right encryption approach depends on where sensitive data resides and how it is used. File-level encryption can protect unstructured data, database encryption secures structured information, application-layer encryption protects data before storage, and network encryption safeguards information in transit. Many organizations adopt a layered strategy that combines multiple encryption methods with centralized key management for comprehensive protection.

Enterprise Data Encryption Solutions