In the realm of data protection, several encryption approaches exist. Do you prefer symmetric encryption (e.g., AES), asymmetric encryption (e.g., RSA/ECC), or a hybrid solution combining both? What do you see as the key advantages or disadvantages of each method in a business context? Your experiences and arguments will help shed light on the debate. Please vote and share your reasoning!
Encryption preference for sensitive data: symmetric, asymmetric, or hybrid?
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For most corporate tasks, I lean towards a hybrid approach: a symmetric algorithm (AES-256) is used to encrypt large volumes of data, while asymmetric (RSA/ECC) is only for key exchange and signing. This way, you combine the speed of symmetric encryption with the ability to securely distribute keys without storing them in plaintext.
Now, what about this scenario? — If your infrastructure is distributed across multiple data centers and requires dynamic key rotation, how effective is the hybrid method in real time? Is it necessary to generate a new asymmetric key each time, or is a single "root" certificate with periodic re-encryption of symmetric keys sufficient?
And one more thing: in cases of strict regulations (e.g., GDPR), how do you assess the CPU load when massively using RSA-2048 for encrypting data at rest? Can a purely symmetric approach with a centralized KMS provide the required level of control without excessive computational overhead?