Security and data protection.

No cipher, no view.

Transfer of critical data

Before transfer to the Safe-Backup centre, your data is encrypted with a symmetric 128-bit algorithm and subsequently compressed. Previously symmetrically encrypted data is transferred via the internet by means of a 1024-bit RSA cryptosystem or 128-bit SSL encryption. In most cases, data transfer via 128-bit SSL encryption is more than adequate; if necessary, a VPN connection can be ordered from Safe-Backup.

Various encryption algorithms are available:

• AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
• TDES / TDEA (Triple Data Encryption Standard / Triple Data Encryption Algorithm)
• TwoFish

The following encryption modes are offered:

• Electronic Cook Book (ECB)
• Cipher Block Chaining (CBC)

Further explanations:

• RSA (asymmetric cryptosystem named after Ronald L. Rivest (US mathematician and cryptologist), Adi Shamir (Israeli cryptology expert) and Leonard Adleman (US cryptology expert and Professor of Computer Sciences and Molecular Biology))
• SSL (Secure Sockets Layer, hybrid encryption protocol for data transfer in the internet)
• VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Various types of encryption

• Symmetric encryption:
  Encryption and decryption are carried out using the same key
• Asymmetric encryption:
  Encryption and decryption are carried out using different keys
• Hybrid encryption:
  A combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption

The power of the encryption depends directly on the length of the cipher used. Each of the symmetric 128-bit keys used has 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,60,431,'768,211.456 possible ciphers. This is such an incredible number of combinations that the cipher cannot be determined.

Questions about data protection

Before transfer, your data is symmetrically enciphered using a key defined by you. This key is never transmitted. The encrypted data is useless without this key. You are the only person who can decipher the symmetrically encrypted data backups and return them to their original state.

We recommend you print your key and keep it in two different safe places (e.g. bank safe, trustworthy person, escrow company). As Safe-Backup will have no knowledge of your key at any time, Safe-Backup’s systems specialists will not be able to help you should you lose it.

If you lose your key, a new data backup set will be created using a new key.