Question

Which encryption standard must be configured for data at rest to ensure that stolen storage volumes remain unreadable to unauthorized parties?

Accepted Answer

The encryption standard that must be configured for data at rest to ensure that stolen storage volumes remain unreadable is the Advanced Encryption Standard, commonly known as AES. AES is a symmetric block cipher, meaning it uses the same secret key to both encrypt and decrypt data, and it processes data in fixed-size blocks of 128 bits. To secure an entire storage volume, AES is typically implemented with a 256-bit key length, denoted as AES-256, which provides a level of security that is computationally infeasible to break using current technology. Data at rest refers to inactive data stored physically on storage media, such as hard drives, solid-state drives, or tapes. When a volume is encrypted with AES, the underlying file system is transformed into ciphertext, which appears as random, unintelligible data to anyone lacking the required decryption key. Even if an attacker physically steals the storage hardware, they cannot access the stored information because they do not possess the key necessary to revert the ciphertext back into the original plaintext. To maintain this security, the encryption key must be stored securely, often managed by a dedicated hardware security module or a key management service separate from the storage medium itself.

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Which encryption standard must be configured for data at rest to ensure that stolen storage volumes remain unreadable to unauthorized parties?