Encrypted data can present a significant hurdle for businesses that must rely on it.

Unsearchable encrypted data is limiting in both a big picture sense and in everyday tasks. You can’t manipulate or code within encrypted data. Innovation suffers. Efficiency declines.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that if it’s not searchable, it’s effectively useless. A good analogy is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If your business isn’t showing up in Google searches, you might as well be invisible to a large percentage of would-be clients.

Learning about Google’s algorithm and some SEO best practices would go a long way toward improving your rank. The same principle applies to the internal encrypted data you need to access to move your business forward.

Limited Common Solutions

Data processing needs are only increasing. The whole world runs on data, much of it based on private information that must be protected. Being able to sort through massive amounts of stored data is a vital function for many companies. Yet, some companies are understandably wary about using the information they have collected for fear of exposure.

The result is a situation where companies must make a difficult choice between taking adequate security protections and using their data in a way that enhances their business. It’s a tricky proposition — do you expose your data, including client data you have collected, or do you hold your business back by playing it safe?

Client trust is an imperative. Still, clients also expect a level of service that you may not be able to adequately provide if your ability to work with encrypted data is severely limited. Unsearchable data is such a limitation. Again, if it’s not searchable, it’s useless.

Often, data privacy exposure increases as SecOps teams implement risky workarounds like “air-gapping” data. This is a popular go-to for getting around encrypted data limitations, but it is far from ideal.

Air-gapped systems do protect data at rest, but an isolated system or computer presents significant limitations. Eventually, most of these machines will need to access the internet or manage data from internet-reliant sources. Companies must weigh the benefits of using encrypted data vs. the usability of that data once it has been exposed to the internet to some extent.

Cloud Data Limitations

Data encryption on the web is more important than ever, right down to the customer experience. A recent GlobalSign survey revealed that 84% of users would abandon a purchase if data was sent over an unencrypted connection.

The potential exposure can become even more significant when it comes to cloud data, which can be exposed both internally and externally. The limitations of encrypted cloud data are substantial. For example, entities like enterprise medical centers and law enforcement agencies are rightfully hesitant to use cloud storage functionality that could help in numerous ways.

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way

Imagine being able to work with encrypted, sensitive data in a meaningful, safe way. You could enjoy the best of both worlds — protecting your data while being able to actually use and even share it. Your Google rank would climb thanks to website data that is fully searchable.

With StrongSalt, the future is happening now. Our technology is both cutting-edge and accessible. We understand how to unlock the limitations inherent to encrypted data while keeping data privacy at the forefront.

It’s your data, and it should work for you when and how you need it. We want you to be able to offer services that your clients and employees can trust.

Always-on, searchable encryption is at the core of StrongSalt’s mission to solve the fundamental problem of data privacy. Best of all, StrongSalt builds infrastructure through APIs that are simple enough for any developer to use, yet secure enough to power the world’s most demanding applications.

Connect with StrongSalt today and become part of the growing family of companies who are innovating and achieving more thanks to the power of searchable encrypted data.

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