Understanding Data Security

To understand PeopleSoft Encryption Technology, it's first necessary to understand the types of data security that cryptography in general can provide.

Data security comprises the following elements:

• Privacy – keeping data hidden from unauthorized parties.

  Privacy is normally implemented with some type of encryption.

• Integrity – keeping transmitted data intact.

  Integrity can be accomplished with simple checksums, or better, with more complex cryptographic checksums known as one-way hashes. Many times, checksums are combined with a type of asymmetric cryptography to produce digital signatures. These signatures, when verified, assure you that the data has not changed.

• Authentication – verifying the identity of an entity that is transferring data.

  Authentication can also be accomplished using digital signatures, which makes them an obvious choice for data security.