Zoho Workerly allows you to protect sensitive and confidential user data through encryption. Encryption is the process of encoding information and making it accessible only by authorized parties. The encryption process converts plain (or readable) text into cipher (or non-readable) text, which can only be read when decrypted by an authorized user.

In Zoho Workerly, a custom field can be encrypted after it's defined as Personally Identifiable Information (PII). PII is any data that could potentially identify a specific individual.

Setting up data encryption  

Data encryption is a way to safeguard the information you store in Workerly. Only the data from custom fields can be encrypted. 

Say, for instance, you need to store confidential information like backup phone numbers or secondary emails, you can include those fields in the user layout as custom fields. Data encryption is done when a custom field is created or edited.

Note: In the Temps and Clients modules, all custom fields support PII. Unique field types, like phone number, email, single line, or multi line, support encryption as well.

To encrypt/decrypt custom fields:

1. Go to Setup > Customization > Modules.
   

2. Select Temps or Clients.
   

3. Click on Layout, and you will be taken to the layout editor.
   

4. Click on the Settings icon next to the custom field created for the selected module, and select Edit Properties.
   

5. In the Field Properties popup, select the Mark as PII field checkbox.
   
   

6. Select the Encrypt Field checkbox.
   

7. Click Done.
   

8. Save the layout.

Feature specifications:

Field and Module-based specifications:  

• Only the Custom fields of the Temps and Clients modules can be encrypted. Unique fields can also be encrypted, as long as they are custom/user-generated.
  

• The field types that support encryption are Single Line, Email, Phone, and Number.
  

• Encryption can be disabled for a field at any time.
  

• Encrypted fields can be used as inputs in Formula fields.

Handling encrypted data:  

• Find & Merge and Deduplication are supported for encrypted fields.
  

• Any data imported to encrypted fields will be encrypted by default. Exported data will be decrypted.
  

• Encrypted fields can be included in Web forms.
  

• Encrypted fields can be displayed in Reports as a column, but they cannot be used in Criteria and Columns to Total.
  

• Encrypted fields can be used as merge fields in templates.
  

• Encrypted fields can be used in integrations as well. Using the information in an integration is entirely at the user's risk. 

Limitations and Trade-offs:

• In the global search, you can search only by using the exact words. For instance, if the encrypted data is "Joseph Wells," you will have to search using the exact words "Joseph Wells" and not "Joseph" or "Wells." 
  

• Encrypted fields cannot be used in Advanced Filters.
  

• Encrypted fields cannot be found using Search by Criteria.
  

• Encrypted fields are not visible in the Sort option.
  

• Encrypted information is only stored in the workerly.zoho.com domain. Use encrypted information in other domains or third-party services at your own discretion.