What is the difference between encryption at rest and encryption in transit?

Encryption at rest protects stored data. Encryption in transit protects data moving between systems. You need both for complete protection.

Which encryption algorithm should we use?

AES-256 for symmetric encryption, RSA-2048 or ECDSA for asymmetric. Avoid MD5, SHA-1, DES, and 3DES. Evaluate post-quantum algorithms for longevity.

How does key management work?

Keys are generated, stored in a dedicated KMS or HSM, rotated automatically every 90 days, and access-restricted by role with full audit logging.

What is the difference between encryption and tokenisation?

Encryption transforms data using an algorithm and key. Tokenisation replaces data with a non-sensitive placeholder. Tokenisation is often preferred for PCI DSS compliance.

Can you encrypt an existing application?

Yes. We start with an encryption audit, map data flows, and layer encryption incrementally without requiring a full rebuild.

How does encryption affect performance?

Modern hardware and efficient cipher modes minimise impact. For high-throughput systems, we optimise with hardware acceleration and benchmark before and after.

What encryption does GDPR require?

GDPR requires appropriate technical measures including encryption and pseudonymisation. Encrypted breached data may not trigger the 72-hour notification if keys were not compromised.

What is end-to-end encryption?

E2EE encrypts data on the sender's device and only decrypts on the recipient's. Not even the service provider can access plaintext. Used for health records, messaging, and document vaults.

How do we handle encryption in multi-cloud?

We implement unified key management across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud using cloud-agnostic KMS or centralised HSM with BYOK where needed.

What happens after the encryption system is built?

We offer ongoing support covering key rotation, algorithm updates, compliance reviews, and post-quantum migration planning.

Data Encryption & Privacy

Data Encryption and Privacy Services That Protect What Matters Most

You need data encryption and privacy that goes beyond ticking a compliance box. Whether you want to build encrypted data systems from scratch, hire a data encryption company to harden an existing product, or bring in experienced encryption developers to implement key management, data masking, and end-to-end encryption across your stack, the fundamental challenge is always the same: making data truly unreadable to anyone who should not have it. We deliver custom encryption development covering everything from AES-256 implementation and privacy engineering to encryption software development for cloud-native and on-premise architectures. That includes data encryption and privacy for SaaS platforms, enterprise applications, and products handling health, financial, or personal data. Need a data encryption quote? Tell us what you are protecting and we will scope the work.

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Executive Summary

Custom data encryption implementation typically costs between $15,000 and $180,000 depending on data volume, number of systems, and compliance requirements. A focused encryption audit and remediation for a single application takes 3 to 6 weeks. Enterprise-wide encryption programmes take 3 to 9 months.

Encryption at Rest & in Transit

Protect Data Wherever It Lives

Every database, file store, backup, and log that contains sensitive data needs to be encrypted while stored. AES-256 encryption is implemented at the application layer, database layer, or storage layer depending on your architecture. Application-layer encryption gives you the most control (the cloud provider never sees your plaintext). Storage-layer encryption (AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, Google Cloud KMS) is simpler but means the provider holds keys. Data moving between systems is data at risk. TLS 1.3 is enforced for all external communication, mutual TLS (mTLS) for service-to-service communication in microservices architectures, and certificate pinning for mobile apps.

AES-256 encryption at the application, database, or storage layer with the right approach chosen for your architecture
TLS 1.3 for all external communication, mutual TLS for service-to-service, and certificate pinning for mobile apps
Automated certificate management so renewals do not cause outages

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Techneth data encryption at rest and in transit implementation interface

Key Management & Data Masking

Keys That Stay Secure and Data That Stays Hidden

Encryption is only as strong as your key management. If your encryption keys are stored alongside your data, or shared across environments, or never rotated, the encryption is effectively decorative. Centralized key management is implemented using hardware security modules (HSMs) or cloud-native KMS, with automated key rotation, separation of duties, and audit logging. For multi-tenant SaaS products, per-tenant key isolation is built so that compromising one tenant's key does not expose another's data. Dynamic data masking and tokenisation reduce your attack surface dramatically without limiting what your teams can do.

Centralized key management using HSMs or cloud-native KMS with automated rotation every 90 days
Per-tenant key isolation for multi-tenant SaaS so compromising one tenant does not expose another
Dynamic data masking and tokenisation for development, testing, QA, and third-party integrations

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Techneth key management and data masking configuration dashboard

Privacy Engineering & E2EE

Collect Less, Protect More, Delete Properly

Privacy engineering goes beyond encryption. It is about collecting only the data you need, retaining it only as long as necessary, and making deletion actually work. Automated data retention policies, anonymisation pipelines for analytics, and right-to-deletion workflows that remove data across every system (not just the primary database) are built. For products where even the service provider should not access user data (messaging, document sharing, health records), true end-to-end encryption is implemented. Client-side encryption, secure key exchange, and zero-knowledge architecture. This is the strongest form of data protection and increasingly expected by enterprise and privacy-conscious users.

Automated data retention policies, anonymisation pipelines, and right-to-deletion workflows across every system
End-to-end encryption with client-side encryption, secure key exchange, and zero-knowledge architecture
Built for products subject to GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA where data minimisation and deletion are legal requirements

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Techneth privacy engineering and end-to-end encryption architecture dashboard

The Real Impact

Why It Matters

If your product stores personal data, processes payments, or serves regulated industries, encryption is not a feature request. It is the minimum expectation. A prospect who asks where their data is encrypted and gets a vague answer does not sign the contract. An enterprise buyer whose security team finds unencrypted PII in your staging environment will disqualify you immediately. And a breach involving unencrypted data? That is not just expensive (the global average is $4.44 million). It is the kind of headline that follows your company for years. The teams we work with who get the most from the engagement are the ones who treat encryption as infrastructure, not an afterthought. They understand that protecting user data is not just about avoiding fines. It is about earning the trust that makes growth possible, especially in B2B SaaS, fintech, and health tech where a single security incident can end partnerships overnight. The data encryption market is projected to reach $36 billion by 2029. That growth is not driven by paranoia. It is driven by the reality that every company is now a data company, and every data company needs encryption that actually works.

Industry Data

By the Numbers

$20.7B

Global data encryption market size in 2025, growing at 14.6% annually. By 2029 it is projected to reach $36 billion. The market is not slowing down because the threat landscape is not slowing down.

Source: Research and Markets, 2025

72%

Of data breaches in 2025 involved data stored in the cloud. If your cloud data is not encrypted with keys you control, you are exposed to both external attacks and provider-side incidents.

Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, 2025

$4.44M

Average cost of a data breach globally in 2025. Breaches where data was encrypted cost significantly less because the exposed data is unusable without the keys. Encryption is the most cost-effective risk reduction.

Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, 2025

53%

Of all breaches involved customer personally identifiable information (PII). This is the data that triggers regulatory fines, class-action lawsuits, and customer churn. Encrypting PII is the single highest-impact control.

Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, 2025

19.5%

Projected annual growth rate for encryption, tokenisation, and data masking solutions from 2025 to 2032. This is the fastest-growing segment within the broader data protection market.

Source: SNS Insider, 2025

"Encryption is the one control that makes stolen data worthless. Everything else, firewalls, access controls, monitoring, tries to stop the breach from happening. Encryption is what protects you when everything else fails. And it will fail eventually. That is not pessimism. That is planning."

Techneth Engineering Team

Technologies

Our Tech Stack

Auth0

Okta

AWS Security

Elastic SIEM

Datadog

Our Process

How we turn ideas into reality.

Data Discovery & Classification

Every data asset in your product is mapped. What is stored, where, who accesses it, and how sensitive it is. You cannot encrypt what you have not found.

Architecture & Protocol Selection

The encryption architecture is designed. Which algorithms, which key management strategy, which storage model. AES-256-GCM for data at rest, TLS 1.3 for data in transit, envelope encryption for cloud workloads. The choice depends on your compliance requirements, performance needs, and infrastructure.

Implementation

Encryption at rest, encryption in transit, key rotation, data masking, tokenisation, and privacy controls are built in sprints. You see working, tested encryption features every two weeks.

Validation & Ongoing Support

Penetration testing is run against encrypted systems, key management procedures are verified, and documentation your auditor can use is delivered. After launch, ongoing key rotation, algorithm updates, and incident response support are provided.

Pricing

Investment Overview

Number of Data Stores

A product with one PostgreSQL database costs less to encrypt than one with 8 microservices, 3 object stores, a data warehouse, and 5 third-party integrations. Each system needs its own encryption approach.

Data Sensitivity

Standard user profiles require baseline encryption. Health records, payment data, and government data trigger stricter requirements (HIPAA, PCI DSS, FedRAMP) and more engineering work.

Key Management Model

Using cloud-native KMS is simpler and cheaper. Running your own HSM-backed key management gives more control but costs more. Bring-Your-Own-Key (BYOK) architectures sit in between.

Get a quote

Everything we do at Techneth is built around making data move reliably between the systems that matter. If you want to understand our approach before committing, you can read more about our team and how we work. Or explore the full range of digital product and development services we offer, like data encryption and privacy. And if you already know what you need, get in touch directly and we will find time to talk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this service.

What is the difference between encryption at rest and encryption in transit?: Encryption at rest protects data while it is stored (databases, files, backups). Encryption in transit protects data while it moves between systems (API calls, browser requests, service-to-service communication). You need both. A product that encrypts data in the database but sends it unencrypted over the network is only half-protected.
Which encryption algorithm should we use?: AES-256 is the standard for symmetric encryption (data at rest and in transit). RSA-2048 or ECDSA for asymmetric encryption (key exchange, digital signatures). SHA-256 minimum for hashing. Avoid MD5, SHA-1, DES, and 3DES entirely. If you are planning for longevity, start evaluating post-quantum algorithms (NIST finalized its first set of standards in 2024). We help you choose based on your specific requirements.
How does key management work?: Key management covers generating, storing, rotating, and retiring encryption keys. Keys should be stored in a dedicated key management system (cloud KMS or hardware security module), never alongside the data they protect. Rotation should be automated (every 90 days is a good baseline). Access to keys should be restricted by role and logged for audit. Poor key management is the most common way encryption fails.
What is the difference between encryption and tokenisation?: Encryption transforms data into ciphertext using an algorithm and key. Tokenisation replaces sensitive data with a non-sensitive placeholder (a token) that maps back to the original via a secure vault. Tokenisation is often preferred for PCI DSS compliance because the token itself carries no exploitable value. Both are implemented depending on the use case and compliance requirements.
Can you encrypt our existing application without a full rebuild?: Usually, yes. An encryption audit (3 to 5 days) maps all data flows and identifies unencrypted exposure points. From there, encryption is layered into the existing architecture incrementally. Application-layer encryption can often be added without changing the database schema. The key is doing it systematically, not bolting it on.
What encryption does GDPR require?: GDPR does not mandate specific algorithms, but Article 32 requires 'appropriate technical measures' including encryption and pseudonymisation. In practice, regulators expect encryption at rest and in transit for personal data, with documented key management procedures. Encrypted data that is breached may not trigger the 72-hour notification requirement if the keys were not compromised. That alone makes encryption one of the most valuable GDPR controls.