Search Encrypt is a private Search engine designed with privacy as its core value. Search Encrypt protects your privacy by encrypting your search terms, expiring your browsing history and using advanced SSL encryption. We’re sharing a bit about how we encrypt your searches and, as a result, protect your privacy.
What Happens When You Search with Search Encrypt?
- Search Encrypt checks the URL of each website you visit. We do not log or store that data anywhere.
- For your privacy, Search Encrypt intercepts the requests if it’s on our list of sites.
- Search Encrypt encrypts your search locally using industry standard AES-256 encryption.
- Your locally encrypted search term is securely transmitted to our servers.
- To provide you with the most relevant results possible, we then decrypt your search term and securely request results from our search & content partners.
- We aggregate the most relevant results and securely display them to you.
- For added security, your local browsing history, for any search we protect, expires and goes away after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Search Encrypt Redirects Tracked Searches
Search Encrypt checks if you are using a search engine that tracks you. If it sees that you are being tracked, it encrypts your search term locally and then transmits it securely to our servers. We then decrypt and redirect your search term through our private search engine. This protects your privacy by not allowing the searches on major search engines to go through. Our browser extension adds a layer of protection by helping you move away from search engines that track you around the web. You may be using one of those search engines without even knowing. We then provide you with the most relevant results possible by securely requesting and aggregating them from our search partners.
Search Encrypt’s Encryption Methods
Encryption happens when an algorithm scrambles your data into an unrecognizable “cipher” form. An encryption key is then required to view the data in plain text. There are many types of encryption. Search Encrypt uses AES, which is the most widely used encryption algorithm. AES-256, which has a 256-bit cipher key, is used by the NSA for TOP SECRET classified information.
AES-256 Encryption
AES, Advanced Encryption Standard, is a data encryption standard endorsed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It replaced the previous standard, Data Encryption Standard, DES. AES is a more secure system for internet communications and transactions. Two Belgian Cryptographers, Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen, created AES in October 2000. The system was originally called Rijndael before being accepted as the new encryption standard, AES. Rijndael offered security, performance, efficiency, implementability, and flexibility beyond that of any of the other candidates for the new encryption standard.
Some well-known uses of AES include Signal Protocol, used in Google Allo, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. The technology is also used in certain game engines, like Rockstar’s Advanced Game Engine used in Grand Theft Auto IV to deter hacking in online multiplayer game modes. AES-256 denotes that the encryption key size is 256 bits. AES supports 128, 192 and 256-bit key sizes. 256 bit keys mean that there are 2256 options for encryption keys. The number of options is bigger than the number of atoms in the perceivable universe. In other words, no person, or computer, will be able to “guess” the key. With current computing capabilities, cracking a key of this length would take millions of years.
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Encryption
Secure Socket Layer, SSL, is a cryptographic protocol that encrypts communication on a computer network. It allows for secure transfer of sensitive information like financial info, passwords or Social Security numbers. Websites that process payment via credit card must have an SSL certificate.
SSL works by creating a public and a private key. These two keys then create a secure and encrypted connection. Websites with SSL certificates communicate with the user’s browser to let it know that a secure connection is available. Without SSL encryption, sites transmit user information in plain text. This means that anyone with access to the network could theoretically access the data. SSL encrypts this data so it can’t be easily leaked or hacked.
Expiring Browsing History
Beyond the traditional encryption methods, we use a short lived key for client side encryption of search history. This means that you, or anyone with access to your computer, can’t access your search history after you finish searching. Because we use an expiring key, your search history is totally gone, even if a hacker accesses the encryption key.
Perfect Forward Secrecy
Search Encrypt offers perfect forward secrecy. This is any encryption method in which a breach of the long-term key doesn’t compromise past session keys. Your search terms are encrypted and not linked to any personally identifiable information. For our users it offers a sense of security, because even if the NSA or hackers were able to access our servers, we store none of your information. Through a combination of advanced encryption, expiring browser history, and not storing user information, Search Encrypt delivers a secure and private search experience.
Read More from Search Encrypt
Search Encrypt Uses SSL To Protect User Data
What is Encryption and How Does It Work?
5 Reasons to Trust Search Encrypt — The Private Search Engine
The post How Does Search Encrypt Work? appeared first on Search Encrypt Blog.
This post first appeared on Search Encrypt | The Private Search Engine, please read the originial post: here
