Read: Class 07 Protecting Data at Rest with Device Encryption
From your day to day computer use, provide examples of when data is at rest and when it is in transit.
Data at rest:
• Files stored on your my hard drive, desktop hard drive, or external storage drive.
• Emails saved in your email inbox or sent folder.
• Photos/videos archived in your photo library or saved to CDs/DVDs.
Data in transit:
• Emails being transmitted between email servers/accounts.
• Website browsing traffic passing over the internet.
• Online chat messages being exchanged between users.
• Cloud file syncing as your files are uploaded/downloaded from cloud storage services.
Data encryption helps preserve confidentiality by converting data into unreadable ciphertext, hiding sensitive information from unauthorized access.
Without the proper key the encrypted data cannot be decrypted and read. Also, encryption does not directly impact the data integrity or availability, but it instead it ensures that only authorized parties can access and potentially modify or delete the encrypted information.
By masking the contents of files, transmission, and storage, encryption helps meet the confidentiality prong of the CIA triad and reduces risks of data breaches or leaks.
Proper encryption, along with other security controls, helps keep data confidential, intact, and accessible to authorized users as required by the complete CIA triad.