Encryption is primarily used to safeguard the contents of a message so that only the intended recipient could read it. This is done by replacing the contents with unrecognizable data, which could be understood only by the intended recipient. This is how encryption became a method to protect data from those who might want to steal it.

Encryption can be used in two situations:

• Encryption in Transit
• Encryption at Rest (EAR)

Encryption in Transit

This 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. Learn more about Encryption in Transit

Encryption at Rest

This refers to data that is encrypted when it is stored (not moving) — either on a disc, in a database, or some other form of media. In addition to encryption of data during transit, encryption of data when it is stored in 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. AES-256 is a symmetric key 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 Data Encryption Key(DEK). The DEK is further encrypted using the KEK (Key Encryption Key), thus, providing yet another layer of security. The keys are generated and maintained by our in-house Key Management Service(KMS). Learn more about our KMS

What data do we encrypt at Zoho Creator?

We encrypt all the media stored in the file upload, image, signature, audio, and video in your Zoho Creator applications. Also, when you're using fields to capture any sensitive, confidential, or personally identifiable information (PII), you can add another layer of protection by enabling the encrypt data field property. This ensures that the field’s data is securely encrypted at rest across all storage and logging mechanisms, including audit trails and backups.

Whitepaper on encryption

Refer to this whitepaper to learn more about how data is encrypted at Zoho.