Optimize helpers for large datasets

**Feature request**
It would be great to have encryption for middleware.

**Use case**
Many users need this functionality for production deployments.

**Implementation idea**
Add a new config option `enable_encryption` with default `false`.

No file, test, or entry point is identified in the issue, and the title does not match the encryption request. Start by locating the middleware configuration and existing configuration tests, then determine the intended encryption scope and how the new option should affect production deployments.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.