IntroNS Practice Exam

Encryption at rest means protecting data while it is stored on storage media, not while it’s moving across a network or while it’s actively being used. This concept covers data kept on disks, in databases, or in other storage systems, and it typically uses strong algorithms like AES to keep the bytes unreadable if the storage is accessed without proper authorization. The statement describing data protection while stored on disk, such as full-disk encryption or database encryption, is exactly what encryption at rest refers to. It’s different from encryption in transit (protecting data as it moves over a network) and from encryption of memory in use (protecting data while it’s actively loaded in RAM). It’s also broader than backups alone, though encrypted backups are a form of at-rest protection.