Langmeier Backup

Important data should be backed up regularly. To prevent unauthorized access, encryption is also a good idea when backing up data. But what quality should it be? The most common, and also available in Langmeier Backup, are 128-bit and 256-bit keys.

128-bit encryption - still secure and practically universally usable

Encryption keys with 128 bits are currently considered secure. Hackers who try to crack such a key by trying all possible keys - experts refer to this as the brute force method - are faced with 2 to the power of 128 possibilities. This is a number with no less than 39 digits. With most of the hardware in use today, 128-bit encryption can be carried out in a relatively short time.

256-bit encryption - higher security, but requires high-performance hardware

Are 256-bit encryption keys even necessary and useful for data backup? After all, such encryption requires more powerful hardware and more time. There are an incredible 2 to the power of 256 possibilities for the correct key, whereby it should be borne in mind that 2 to the power of 129 is already twice as large a number as 2 to the power of 128. The fact is that computers are becoming ever faster and more powerful. Therefore, an encryption key that was secure yesterday may be crackable tomorrow. This is why secret services - such as the US National Security Agency - insist that top secret documents are not encoded with 128-bit keys, but with 256-bit keys. One of the reasons for this is probably the concept of computers, whose functionality is based on the laws of quantum mechanics. Put simply, they are able to approach a 256-bit key as if it were only a 128-bit key. An encryption key with 128 bits would therefore only have the strength of a key with 64 bits. However, 64-bit keys can already be cracked today. It seems only a matter of time before powerful quantum computers are available.

Recommendation

If data confidentiality is not a high priority and sufficiently powerful hardware is not available, 128-bit encryption should be sufficient at present. However, if you want to be on the safe side or encode sensitive data, you should choose 256-bit encryption in Langmeier Backup.

Look it up further: Data backup, Encryption, Langmeier Backup

Related articles

Which type of backup is the best choice for my data?
This is how important data backup is in real life
FAT32 or NTFS? Which format is better for backups?

Post a comment here...