Data-at-Rest Encryption

This question asks whether sensitive data is encrypted when it's stored - on hard drives, in databases, or in files. This means the data is scrambled when sitting on disk, so even if someone steals the hard drive or hacks into the storage system, they can't read the actual information without the encryption key.

Unencrypted stored data is vulnerable to theft, insider threats, and compliance violations. Data-at-rest encryption is required by most privacy regulations and security frameworks. Without it, a single stolen laptop or compromised server can expose your entire database, triggering breach notifications, regulatory fines, and customer lawsuits. This protection is fundamental to data security and regulatory compliance.

Many vendors encrypt hard drives but not database fields, leaving data exposed to database attacks. Others claim encryption but store encryption keys in the same system as the encrypted data, making the encryption useless if the system is compromised.