2026 Is Here and Encryption Is No Longer Optional

NetLib Security announces the general availability of Encryptionizer Winter 2026 Release

From the desk of the CTO, David Stonehill: Encryption in 2026 Means Designing for an AI-First Threat Landscape

At NetLib Security, we design Encryptionizer with the assumption that credentials will be compromised, systems will be copied, and data will be targeted directly. As discussed in my Predictions for 2026 article for App Developer Magazine, AI doesn’t just accelerate attacks, it accelerates lateral movement and data exploitation. If sensitive information isn’t encrypted at rest, locked to its environment, and cryptographically isolated, AI simply makes theft faster and cheaper.

Our Winter 2026 release reflects this reality. Support for modern platforms like SQL Server 2025 and Windows Server 2025 ensures encryption keeps pace with innovation, while continued support for legacy systems acknowledges a harder truth: AI doesn’t discriminate by version number. Attackers go where the data is, not where the technology is newest.

The addition of Azure Key Vault support is equally intentional. As organizations adopt AI-driven analytics, automation, and agentic workflows, centralized and auditable key management becomes essential. Keys are the cornerstone of encryption. If they’re mishandled, AI doesn’t just exploit that weakness—it amplifies it.

Encryptionizer’s approach has always been to make stolen data useless. Locking applications to specific machines, users, and network contexts ensures that even if encrypted files are exfiltrated, they remain inert outside their intended environment. That design choice matters more in an AI era than it ever did before.

AI will continue to evolve. Attacks will become more convincing, more automated, and harder to detect. But encryption, properly implemented, remains one of the few controls that doesn’t rely on predicting attacker behavior.

It simply removes the payoff. And in an AI-driven threat landscape, reducing the payoff is how you change the game.

For years, security teams have been forced to choose between modern protection and legacy compatibility. Between cloud migration timelines that never quite land, databases that refuse to retire, and compliance requirements that don’t care how old your stack is, that choice has always been a false one.

With the general availability of Encryptionizer Winter 2026, NetLib Security is making a clear statement: strong encryption should work everywhere without disruption, rewrites, or excuses.

This release reflects what we see every day in the field. Organizations aren’t operating in neat, greenfield environments. They’re running a mix of modern platforms, cloud infrastructure, and mission-critical legacy systems that still hold sensitive data and still represent risk.

Security That Moves at the Speed of Reality

The Winter 2026 release brings native support for Microsoft SQL Server 2025 and Microsoft Windows Server 2025, ensuring organizations adopting the latest Microsoft platforms can encrypt data at rest from day one. But just as importantly, Encryptionizer continues to support Windows versions going back to Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, because real businesses don’t turn off legacy systems overnight. That dual commitment is intentional.

Security tools shouldn’t have to force modernization. They should meet organizations where they are and reduce risk immediately, whether the system was deployed last quarter or last decade.

Key Management That Matches Modern Threat Models

One of the most significant enhancements in this release is the introduction of a new Key Delivery Plugin with support for Azure Key Vault.

Why does this matter?

Because encryption is only as strong as the way keys are stored, delivered, and controlled. Centralized, cloud-based key management reduces operational risk, limits key exposure, and aligns with zero-trust and defense-in-depth strategies. By integrating with Azure Key Vault, Encryptionizer gives organizations greater flexibility in how they manage cryptographic material without sacrificing control or performance.

At the same time, organizations that require on-premises or hybrid key strategies aren’t left behind. Encryptionizer continues to support diverse key management approaches, allowing teams to design architectures that reflect regulatory, operational, and threat-model realities.

One Encryption Strategy Across Every Database

Data sprawl is one of the quiet drivers of breach risk. Sensitive information doesn’t live in just one database engine and attackers know it.

Encryptionizer is designed to close those gaps.

In addition to securing all editions of SQL Server, including Express and LocalDB, Encryptionizer can be used to encrypt applications built on:

PostgreSQL
MySQL
Microsoft Access
Visual FoxPro
Custom applications and proprietary data formats

This breadth matters. Express editions, embedded databases, and custom formats are often overlooked in enterprise security programs even though they frequently store regulated or business-critical data. Encryptionizer brings those assets into the same protection model, without requiring application rewrites or schema changes.

Built for Real-World Threats, Not Just Compliance Checklists

Encryptionizer continues to use the strongest ciphers available, but cryptography alone isn’t enough.

That’s why the platform includes advanced controls that allow applications to be locked to specific machines, processes, and network environments. Even if encrypted data is copied or exfiltrated, it remains unusable outside its authorized context.

This approach reflects how modern attacks actually happen—through credential abuse, lateral movement, and data theft rather than purely technical exploits. Encryptionizer is designed to protect data not just at rest, but in context.

A Release That Reflects a Bigger Philosophy

The Winter 2026 release isn’t just about new platform support or feature parity. It reflects a broader belief that has guided NetLib Security for decades: Encryption should be transparent, powerful, and adaptable without breaking the systems businesses rely on.

As regulations tighten, attackers grow more sophisticated, and AI accelerates the scale of breaches, organizations can no longer afford partial encryption strategies or “we’ll get to it later” thinking. Data protection has to be proactive, comprehensive, and realistic.

Encryptionizer Winter 2026 is built for that world.

Availability

The Winter 2026 release is now generally available to all current customers via the NetLib Security software portal. Prospective customers can request a free trial version at netlibsecurity.com.

For more information, contact NetLib Security at nlmoreinfo@netlibsecurity.com or 877-367-1177 (US).

About NetLib Security

NetLib Security has spent more than 20 years developing a powerful, patented solution that starts by setting up a formidable offense for every environment where your data resides: physical, virtual and cloud. Our platform simplifies the process while ensuring high levels of security.

Simplify your data security needs. Encryptionizer is easy to deploy. It’s a cost-effective way to proactively and transparently protect your sensitive data that allows you to quickly and confidently meet your security requirements. With budget considerations in mind, we have designed an affordable data security platform that protects, manages, and defends your data, while responding to the ever changing compliance requirements. No coding changes required.

Data breaches are expensive. Security does not have to be.

NetLib Security works with government agencies, healthcare organizations, small to large enterprises, financial services, credit card processors, distributors, and resellers to provide a flexible data security solution that meets their evolving needs. To learn more or request a free evaluation visit us at www.netlibsecurity.com.