Episode 105 — Decryption Rules: when inspection is required and common pitfalls

Decryption rules are a focused CloudNetX topic because they determine where encrypted traffic becomes visible for security controls and where it remains private, which directly affects risk management and operational stability. This episode defines decryption rules as policies that decide which traffic should be decrypted for inspection and which traffic should be exempted, based on destination categories, applications, user groups, or risk context. The first paragraph focuses on the drivers for decryption: requirements to detect malware in encrypted streams, enforce data movement policies, or satisfy compliance expectations that demand inspection and evidence. It also explains why selective decryption is typically the correct design approach, because decrypting everything creates privacy concerns, performance burdens, and application breakage risk. The episode frames decryption as both a technical decision and a governance decision, requiring clarity about what is being protected and what user expectations must be respected.