Protecting personally identifiable information (PII), intellectual property, financial results, and other sensitive information is a top priority for all organizations. Over the past years, the number of reported data breaches has increased, resulting in damages reaching into the tens of millions of dollars. As a result, numerous privacy and breach notification laws have been put in place that mandate the use of encryption technologies to provide a defensive shield for sensitive data. This paper examines how Oracle Advanced Security provides transparent, standards-based security that protects data through data-at-rest encryption, network encryption, and strong authentication services.