Encryption-in-Use Approaches: A Practical Comparison

Several technologies seek to address data-in-use protection, each with distinct trade-offs that security architects must evaluate.

Paperclip SAFE leverages Searchable Symmetric Encryption, enabling keyword searches across encrypted data while the data remains encrypted. Unlike other approaches, SSE delivers strong privacy and high speeds with advanced encryption technology—making it the practical foundation for on-demand, production deployments.

Searchable Symmetric Encryption (SSE)

Enables keyword searches across encrypted data without decryption. Unlike other approaches, SSE bridges the gap between strong privacy and operational usability—making it the practical foundation for production encryption-in-use deployments like SAFE.

Homomorphic Encryption (HE)

Enables computations directly on encrypted data but faces significant performance challenges—operations measured in minutes rather than milliseconds—limiting practical adoption for production environments.

Confidential Computing

Creates hardware-based secure enclaves for processing; also known as Trusted Execution Environments (TEE). While effective for protecting application logic, TEEs require complex implementation, specialized certification, and architectural redesign. Data in CPU remains unencrypted during computation, and database-level protection is not inherent.

Tokenization

Replaces sensitive values with surrogate tokens, but deterministic tokenization creates recognizable patterns. Repeated values generate identical tokens, potentially leaking information to persistent attackers.

Format-Preserving Encryption (FPE)

Maintains original data formats for legacy system compatibility—a 16-digit credit card number remains 16 digits after encryption. However, FPE does not support searchability; applications cannot query encrypted content.

The Encryption Gap

Traditional encryption protects data at rest and in transit—but the moment it’s accessed for search or processing, it must be decrypted. That window of vulnerability is where breaches happen. The hard truth is that legacy database encryption was never designed for today’s AI heavy production data workflows, nor tomorrow’s post-quantum exposure.

Recent high-profile attacks confirm this: ransomware, insider threats, and nation-state actors consistently exploit data during active use—information that was technically “encrypted” but exposed to support production applications (payroll, human resources, financial & healthcare platforms, customer service, retail, etc.)

Regulators have noticed. DORA now mandates encryption across all three data states, at rest, in transit and data-in-use. HIPAA, SEC rules, and emerging U.S. privacy frameworks are following suit.

Encryption-in-Use, Solved

Paperclip’s SAFE advanced encryption technology closes this gap using Searchable Symmetric Encryption (SSE)—a cryptographic approach proven through DARPA-funded research.

Combined with proprietary data shredding and dual-key architecture, SAFE lets organizations query and process encrypted data without ever exposing plaintext—adding only milliseconds to operations
Recent high-profile attacks confirm this: ransomware, insider threats, and nation-state actors consistently exploit data during active use—information that was technically “encrypted” but exposed when needed most.

Before signing to renew or refresh a legacy database encryption contract that locks you in to outdated technology for multiple years, consider a stronger, more scalable solution: Paperclip SAFE.

SAFE Architecture: Searchable Encryption Without Performance Compromise

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION

LAYERED SECURITY ARCHITECTURE

ENCRYPTED SEARCH

CRYPTO-AGILE DESIGN

Inside Paperclip’s Data Encryption Technology: SAFE in Action

Learn More About Encryption-in-Use

The Definitive Guide to Encryption-in-Use for Security Leaders

Navigate the encryption-in-use landscape with confidence. This comprehensive guide explains the technology options, evaluates implementation trade-offs, and provides a framework for building the business case for always-encrypted data protection. Essential reading for CISOs, Security Architects, and IT Directors evaluating data protection strategies.

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