Shield Platform Encryption in
Salesforce: Protecting Sensitive Data the Right Way
✅ What is Shield Platform Encryption?
Shield
Platform Encryption is a powerful Salesforce feature designed to secure
sensitive data by encrypting it while stored (“at rest”) in the
database. Unlike basic field-level security, this ensures that even if someone
gains access to the backend, the encrypted data remains unreadable without the
encryption key. It helps businesses meet strict compliance standards such as GDPR,
HIPAA, and PCI-DSS by providing stronger control over how data is protected
within the Salesforce environment.
🔐 Key Features
The core
strength of Shield Platform Encryption lies in its ability to encrypt not just
custom and standard fields, but also files, attachments, and Chatter content.
It integrates with Salesforce’s Event Monitoring and Field Audit Trail features
to provide complete visibility and control over data access. With Bring Your
Own Key (BYOK), companies can upload and manage their own encryption keys,
allowing for more customizable and compliant security policies.
🧠 Encryption Types
Salesforce
offers two encryption methods within Shield: deterministic and probabilistic.
Deterministic encryption ensures that the same input will always result in the
same encrypted output, making it easier to filter or match data but slightly
less secure. Probabilistic encryption, on the other hand, produces different
outputs for the same input, increasing security but limiting use in searches
and filters. Choosing the right type depends on the balance between
functionality and data protection required for your use case.
🛠️ When to Use It
Shield
Platform Encryption becomes essential when working with sensitive customer data
such as social security numbers, medical records, credit card details, or
personal identification information. Industries like healthcare, finance, and
government sectors often require this level of encryption to meet regulatory
standards. Even if not legally required, using Shield demonstrates a strong
commitment to customer privacy and organizational security.
✅ Best Practices
To implement
Shield effectively, always start by testing encryption in a sandbox environment
to understand its impact. Avoid encrypting fields that are used in formulas,
reports, or lookup filters, as encryption can limit these functionalities.
Establish a schedule for key rotation and document your encryption strategy
clearly for auditing purposes. Also, coordinate with your development and
integration teams to ensure encrypted fields won’t break any existing
automation or API workflows.
⚠️ Limitations
Despite its
robust capabilities, Shield Platform Encryption does come with some
limitations. Encrypted fields cannot be used as external IDs or marked as
unique, and they aren’t searchable through Salesforce global search.
Additionally, some operations like using encrypted fields in formula fields or
workflow criteria won’t work. Understanding these limitations early helps you
plan your implementation without unexpected issues later.
🔚 Conclusion
Shield
Platform Encryption is a critical layer of security for any organization
looking to safeguard sensitive data in Salesforce. It enhances compliance,
reduces risk, and reinforces trust with your users and customers. While it
requires thoughtful planning and configuration, the long-term benefits of
securing your most valuable data far outweigh the initial effort. With Shield,
Salesforce becomes not only a powerful CRM — but a trusted platform for secure
business operations.