What Is Data at Rest?

The data at rest refers to all data that is not actively being transferred between devices or networks. This includes files on hard drives, laptops, flash drives and archives.

Data at rest remains highly valuable to attackers, making it an especially high security risk. This is especially true for sensitive information like financial documents, employee records and customer records that should not be left unsecured.

Definition

Data at rest refers to information that remains stationary between devices or networks. This could include files stored on file servers, databases, records in spreadsheets, documents stored on flash drives or hard disks, as well as backup tapes.

Encrypting data at rest is essential for preventing unauthorized access, as data at rest presents a more lucrative target for cybercriminals than data in transit.

In today’s world of ransomware and other threats, it is imperative to safeguard sensitive company information. That is why encryption at rest should be an integral part of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

Encrypting data at rest is a method for scrambling and encoding data with an algorithm that only authorized parties can decode. This security measure typically works in tandem with other measures, such as identity and access management (IAM).

Examples

Data at rest differs from data in motion, which moves between devices or network points. It typically resides on hard drives, SSDs, or other storage media and may be replicated within virtualized environments or backed up to off-site storage facilities.

Data is often shared via portable media (like laptops and mobile phones) or email. Thus, it’s essential to encrypt all at-rest data for protection.

Data at rest can include customer, employee and business information such as names, addresses, Social Security numbers, bank account details, credit card info and trade secrets.

These types of information often lead to serious consequences when exposed, such as a company’s reputation, decreased sales and share price, even criminal penalties. Safeguarding sensitive data at rest can be challenging when subject to federal or industry regulations like HIPAA or PCI DSS; however, with the right approach you can save money, time, and effort while avoiding embarrassing breaches.

Threats

Data at rest refers to any information that does not move between devices or networks, such as files, databases and archives.

Data at rest may be less vulnerable than data in motion or use, but it still remains vulnerable to threats from cybercriminals looking for a large reward.

Encryption can provide an extra layer of protection for sensitive data, giving the information stored more peace of mind.

Data at rest can be vulnerable to various threats. Physical, environmental and non-technical hazards all pose potential dangers and can affect the safety and security of data in various ways.

Attackers may target data at rest by stealing it from a company’s premises, trying to hack its login credentials or using malware. They could also attempt to gain access through phishing scams or brute force methods.

Solutions

Data stored at rest is often the most critical asset an organization possesses. This can include sensitive customer and employee details, past records, as well as other business-critical info.

Organizations must use a combination of security tools and best practices to safeguard their information. This includes encrypting data before it is transported or processed, monitoring data at rest in real-time, adjusting policies, encryption keys, access permissions, and other security measures as the enterprise’s needs evolve.

Companies should implement strong user permissions management to restrict data usage by employees. This can be accomplished through role-based access control or assigning varying levels of permissions for specific users.