Encryption is primarily used to safeguard the contents of your data so that only authorized users can read it. This is done by replacing the contents with unrecognizable data, which can be understood only by the intended recipient. This is how encryption is used to protect data from those who might want to steal it.
Encryption can be used in two situations:
Refers to data that is encrypted when it is in transit, including from your browser to the web server and other third parties via integrations. Encrypting data in transit protects your data from man-in-the-middle attacks.
Refers to data that is encrypted when it is stored (not moving), either on a disk, in a database, or some other form of media. In addition to encryption of data during transit, encryption of data when it is stored on the servers provides an even higher level of security. EAR protects against any possible data leak due to server compromise or unauthorized access.
Encryption is done at the application layer using the AES-256 algorithm, which is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses 128-bit blocks and 256-bit keys. The key used to convert the data from plain text to cipher text is called the Data Encryption Key (DEK). The DEK is further encrypted using the KEK (Key Encryption Key), which provides yet another layer of security. The keys are generated and maintained by our in-house Key Management Service (KMS).
We encrypt all the chemistry content you create and store in Zoho ChemStudio. When you save a board, all the objects on it, including structures, reactions, annotations, and other elements, are saved together as a single .zcxml file, and this file is encrypted at rest.
This includes:
.zcxml representation of your board is encrypted.Some outputs are generated for on-screen visualization only and are not stored on our servers. Predicted NMR spectra and ADME properties are computed and displayed for viewing purposes and are not persisted, so there is no stored copy of these results.
Zoho ChemStudio uses the same Key Management Service (KMS) architecture as other Zoho services. Data is encrypted with a Data Encryption Key (DEK), which is itself encrypted with a Key Encryption Key (KEK), and all keys are generated and maintained by our in-house KMS.
In addition to application layer encryption, full-disk encryption is available in our EU (Europe), IN (India), and AU (Australia) data centers.
Work opened or created in the ChemStudio desktop app can be saved to your local device. Files saved locally by the desktop app are stored in a JSON format and are not encrypted by the application. Protection of these local files depends on the security of your own device, such as operating system or full-disk encryption.