How much security is needed on the cloud can depend on a case-by-case basis, as every user’s information is unique. Choosing the right level of encryption is one of the most important decisions one can make when choosing a cloud storage platform, as too little can leave you vulnerable, and too much can be a poor use of money.

First, let’s define what encryption does. In a basic sense, it changes readable text — often referred to as “plaintext” — into an unreadable format that remains protected. There are a seemingly endless array of companies offering their own special kind of encryption services, and attempting to decide which is best for you can be overwhelming.

To help you in your search for the correct amount of security, here are three of the most common types of encryption — hashing, symmetric and asymmetric — and explanations on how they work.

Hashing Encryption

Hashing encryption creates a special, fixed-length signature for a message, password or set of data. Algorithms — or “hash functions” — are used to protect information, and the slightest change in info results in a completely new hash — making it incredibly difficult for hackers to invade.

The biggest difference between hashing and other types of encryption is that once data is secured, the process cannot be changed or read in any way, shape or form. “This means that even if a potential attacker were able to obtain a hash, he or she would not be able to use a decryption method to discover the contents of the original message. Some common hashing algorithms are Message Digest 5 (MD5) and Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA).”

Symmetric Methods

Also referred to private-key cryptography, symmetric encryption is one of the oldest and more reliable forms of online security. The private key, which can be a word, number or a random combination of letters, is applied to a password to change the message in a specific way — the means of doing this depends entirely on the particular service. It could be as easy as shifting the letters in a password a certain number of places in the alphabet. For example, if your password was ABC and the algorithm pushed those letters five spaces forward, it would become EFG. Even with a password as obnoxiously simple as ABC, this encryption method makes it nearly impossible for hackers to infiltrate.

People can use this encryption method as either a “stream” cipher or a “block” cipher, depending on the amount of data being encrypted or decrypted at a time. A stream cipher encrypts data one character at a time as it is sent or received, while a block cipher processes fixed chunks of data. Common symmetric encryption algorithms include Data EncryptionStandard (DES), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA).

Asymmetric Methods

Asymmetric encryption, or “public-key cryptography,” pairs two keys together to encrypt and decryption messages to ensure it is kept secure during a transfer.  This method is often considered a better option than Symmetric encryption for larger businesses. According to Microsoft, using this method means “you do not have to worry about passing public keys over the Internet (the keys are supposed to be public). A problem with asymmetric encryption, however, is that it is slower than symmetric encryption. It requires far more processing power to both encrypt and decrypt the content of the message.”

^Sources:

<sup>1. 23 November, 2010. <http://packetlife.net/blog/2010/nov/23/symmetric-asymmetric-encryption-hashing/>
2. <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/246071>
3. “Hashing.” <http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hashing.html>
4. “What are the Different Types of Encryption Methods?” <http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-different-types-of-encryption-methods.htm></sup>

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This tool allows you “to paste specific cell contents or attributes such as formulas, formats, or comments from the Clipboard into an Excel worksheet. You can also use Paste Special to paste a link to Excel data or data from another program, such as Microsoft Word or a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet.”¹

As the video above shows, you can do basic mathematics with this tool without using any complicated formulas. If you have lots of rows and/or columns of data that you with to update in the same way, the paste special tool is the easiest way to accomplish this. For example, say your company is running a promotion that decreases the price of your products by 20 percent. Copy 0.80 from an empty cell on your spreadsheet and use the “multiple” paste special operation. This can show how much all of your products will cost during the sale.

While there are easy ways to find this kind of information in more traditional means — like using a calculator — the Paste Special box can be a tremendous time-saver and can be advantageous to virtually any business.

^{Source:
“Use Paste Special to insert static or linked data into Excel.” <http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/use-paste-special-to-insert-static-or-linked-data-into-excel-HP001108276.aspx>}

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The post Excel Tricks: Perform Basic Math Functions Without Creating A Formula appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

But when Netflix prepared to roll out its third original series, Orange is the New Black, they didn’t build it up nearly as much as they did for its predecessors. In fact, outside of a few commercials, they barely marketed it at all.

And yet, Orange is the New Black garnered more viewings in its first week than House of Cards and Arrested Development.¹

OITNB didn’t have the star power of Netflix’s other shows; nor did it have much momentum leading up to its release. So how, exactly, did it do so well?

The answer: big data.

Truth is, Netflix didn’t have to market OITNB, a show about a woman who is sent to jail for a crime she committed more than a decade earlier. Thanks to Netflix’s in-depth audience studies and design strategies, company executives knew its users would watch the dark comedy regardless of whether or not they heard about it elsewhere.

By using comprehensive big data analysis that far exceeds those of its competitors, Netflix is able to investigate what its 30 million-plus subscribers enjoy. Here are some of the ways they break the info down:

• Track what goes on in the movies themselves (i.e. plot, genre, character development)
• Capture JPEGs of video to analyze color, tone, scenery and any other visuals that may indicate what the users like
• Study what volume levels are used for certain programs
• Note every time users rewind, fast forward and pause films
• Analyze the audiences’ geo-location data
• Chart what kind of devices are being used to run Netflix
• Pay attention to what time of day and week certain programs are watched (it now can verify that users watch more TV shows during the week and more movies during the weekend)
• Research social media data and metadata from third parties such as Nielsen¹

Kate Epstein of CounterPunch.org explains how this data can be applied, using House of Cards as an example:

This information has long dictated what content Netflix decides to license and recommend to different viewers, but “House of Cards” was the first time any company had ever used such data in the creative production process for a T.V. show. It started when Netflix noticed that there was significant overlap between the circles of viewers who watched movies starring Kevin Spacey and movies directed by David Fincher from beginning to end, and viewers who loved the original 1990 BBC miniseries “House of Cards.” Subscribers were shown one of ten different trailers for the series based on their consumer profiles. The producers also knew, from studying viewers’ watching patterns, that releasing all thirteen episodes at once would promote and reward the binge-like behavior demonstrated by their target audience. The new strategy paid off, with ten percent of Netflix subscribers watching the series within two weeks of its debut, and 80% of viewers rating it “good” or “exceptional.”2

The same approach was used with OITNB. Before the show blossomed, researchers came to understand that a high percentage of Netflix’s users enjoyed 1) dark comedies, 2) plots revolving around prison/crime, and 3) a likable female lead. Those three factors rarely combined in the same recipe, but blending them together proved to create a fantastic, one-of-a-kind program.

But here’s the key to Orange is the New Black’s success: Netflix came to understand that roughly 75 percent of its views come purely from its recommendation section, which is displayed at the top of site’s homepage. To create this, analysts used the aforementioned data to put together an extremely accurate recommendation system unlike any other in the industry:

So Netflix had an epiphany. They didn’t have to market Orange is the New Black —  people who would like the series would naturally see and choose to watch it. Given the show’s premise and the audience’s taste in TV, Netflix knew hundreds of thousands — perhaps millions — of people would get hooked.

And they did.

*   *   *

So how does all this apply to your business? Well, it means that embracing big data analysis can not only be a more cost-efficient alternative to traditional marketing, but it can be far more effective, as well. Even if you want to maintain your advertising practices, using new-age data analysis can help you mold your next product(s) the way Netflix has done.

Coming soon: Technology Advice’s Big Data Smart Advisor tool — helping you find which big data company is right for you.

<sup>Sources:
1. Harris, Derrick. 25 July, 2013. “A Netflix, big data can affect even the littlest things.” <http://gigaom.com/2013/07/25/at-netflix-big-data-can-affect-even-the-littlest-things/>
2. Epstein, Kate. 17 July, 2013. “The Brave New World of Big Data.” <http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/07/17/the-brave-new-world-of-big-data/></sup>

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