While Microsoft 365 encrypts by default data stored in its cloud services both at rest and in transit, using some of the strongest and most secure encryption protocols, risks of unauthorised data access, compliance violations and data breaches remain.
To mitigate those risks, Microsoft provides an encryption implementation called Double Key Encryption (or DKE for short), which provides an enhanced level of encryption to secure sensitive documents and data store in microsoft office. Unlike traditional encryption methods that rely on a single encryption key, with Double Key Encryption (DKE) one key is held by Microsoft in Azure key vault, while the other key is exclusively managed externally by the client.
This implementation ensures that even if one encryption key is compromised, the data remains encrypted and inaccessible, while maintaining complete data sovereignty.
With Double Key Encryption, organisations can confidently move their most sensitive data to the Azure cloud and maintain compliance with stringent data privacy regulations, including HIPAA, GDPR, FINMA, etc.