Encryption at Rest

Encryption at rest refers to encrypting data when it is stored, protecting it from unauthorized access if physical media is lost or stolen or if a cloud storage bucket is misconfigured. Common implementations include disk-level encryption (AES-256), database-level transparent data encryption (TDE), and field-level encryption for highly sensitive data. AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, and GCP Cloud Storage all support encryption at rest by default. Most compliance frameworks (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR) require encryption at rest for sensitive data.

Why it matters for your website

• 1Foundational principle in modern security — harder to retrofit than to build in from the start
• 2Reduces breach impact by limiting what attackers can access if they get in
• 3Required control in ISO 27001, NIST CSF, and most compliance frameworks