Encrypting Data at Rest

1. Introduction

Data at rest refers to inactive data stored physically in any digital form (database, data warehouse, etc.). Encrypting this data is crucial for protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access and breaches.

2. Key Concepts

3. Step-by-Step Process

3.1 Choose an Encryption Method

Common methods include:

• AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)
• RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman)
• 3DES (Triple Data Encryption Standard)

3.2 Implementing Encryption

Below is an example of using AES encryption in Python.

from Crypto.Cipher import AES
from Crypto.Util.Padding import pad, unpad
import os

# Key and initialization vector
key = os.urandom(16)  # AES requires a 16-byte key
iv = os.urandom(16)   # AES requires a 16-byte IV

# Encrypting data
def encrypt(data):
    cipher = AES.new(key, AES.MODE_CBC, iv)
    ct_bytes = cipher.encrypt(pad(data.encode(), AES.block_size))
    return ct_bytes

# Example usage
data = "Sensitive data"
encrypted_data = encrypt(data)
print(encrypted_data)
                

4. Best Practices

• Regularly update encryption keys.
• Use multi-factor authentication for accessing encrypted data.
• Conduct regular audits and assessments.
• Ensure compliance with industry regulations and standards.

5. FAQ