Selective encryption of streaming data

An embodiment includes determining, in response to receiving data at a source node for transmission as streaming data on a network, whether a characteristic of the data indicates that an attribute of the data includes sensitive information. The embodiment also includes calculating, responsive to determining that the attribute includes sensitive information, an entropy value for the attribute. The embodiment also includes determining, responsive to the calculating of the entropy value, a likelihood that the attribute is encrypted by comparing the entropy value to a threshold value. The embodiment also includes generating a parameter value for a cryptographic parameter for the attribute.