Next-Level Protection with Encrypted Forms

Data encryption is the process of encoding data. Once data is encrypted, it can only be read after it’s been decrypted. This process is used to protect information both when it’s transferred between a browser and a server and when it’s being stored. Data encryption is particularly useful for sensitive information that needs an additional layer of security.

There are two types of data encryption: symmetric encryption and asymmetric encryption. These encryption methods are similar in that they both use keys to encrypt and decrypt data, but one uses the same key for encryption and decryption, while the other uses different keys. Symmetric encryption is when the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt data. Asymmetric encryption is when different keys are used for encryption and decryption — in this case the key used to encrypt data is called a public key, and the key used to decrypt data is called a private key.

Yes. With Jotform Encrypted Forms 2.0, you can use end-to-end-encryption to encrypt the data for each of your forms and access it with a unique password only you know. Read our user guide to learn how to enable form encryption.

There are plenty of ways to make a form secure — for example, a form may be considered secure if it uses a 256-bit SSL connection, if it’s PCI compliant or GDPR compliant, if it uses spam protection, or if it’s accessed using a Single Sign-On (SSO) login. All of these are powerful security features that Jotform offers. An encrypted form, on the other hand, involves a password or key that the form owner uses to encrypt and decrypt data — adding an extra layer of security and ensuring that form submissions can only be viewed and accessed by the form owner themselves. Even the company processing the form data (in this case, Jotform) can’t access the encrypted data.

Encrypted Forms 2.0 uses end-to-end data encryption and Web Crypto API to keep form data protected. Our older encryption method encrypted all form data with a single key, whereas Encrypted Forms 2.0 uses a unique encryption password for each and every form. Switching to this method gives every form owner a unique way to access encrypted submissions, helping to boost the security level.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method of data protection that encrypts data from the moment it’s created and keeps it encrypted as it’s transferred from one place to another. Data protected by E2EE can be decrypted only by the person with the encryption password. In the case of online forms that have end-to-end encryption enabled, each form submission’s data is encrypted as soon as it’s submitted and can be decrypted only by the form owner. Making the data unreadable to anyone other than the password holder adds an additional layer of security and prevents data from being viewed or accessed by the internet service provider, the platform hosting the data, hackers, or any other third-party individual or organization.

First and foremost, Encrypted Forms 2.0 keeps your data safe. Since it makes your data viewable and accessible with a password only you know, you and only you will be able to view your form data. Even Jotform won’t be able to access your data — which is why it’s important to keep your unique encryption password protected.

It’s also easy to use, allowing you to encrypt your form data in a few simple steps. You won’t need any coding knowledge to encrypt your forms, and instead of using private and public keys, you can use a single encryption password to quickly encrypt and decrypt your data for easy access.

Jotform allows you to set up form encryption in a few easy steps. Just verify your account and set an encryption password! Visit our user guide to learn more about how to enable form encryption.

Forms that were previously encrypted using the older method of encryption will continue using the old method of encryption. In the old version, users could encrypt all of their forms by default from the Account Security page rather than encrypting each form individually like they can in the new version. If your forms are currently encrypted using the old method, they will continue using the old method of form encryption until you go into your settings and remove the older form encryption method from your forms. Users who are new to form encryption will automatically be prompted to use Encrypted Forms 2.0.

When you encrypt your forms, certain features will be disabled automatically to keep your data secure. These features include Autoresponder emails, the Change Email Recipient condition, approval flows, form reports, and Jotform Sign. You will still receive Notification emails for new submissions, but you won’t be able to customize them. In addition, encrypted forms aren’t compatible with integrations other than payment gateways. Responders will no longer be able to save and continue filling out the form later. As for Digest Emails, you’ll receive only the new submission count for the latest period of the digest. You can still view the data from your encrypted forms in the PDF Editor but can only print it. The filter feature will be disabled for encrypted forms when viewing data in Tables or Inbox.