We say that data is “at rest” when it has arrived at its ultimate destination but is not currently being utilised. Generally speaking, it only applies to data that has already been saved, and not information that is being sent over a network or stored in a computer’s memory prior to being read or updated. Data at rest might relate to resources such as encyclopaedias or dictionaries that are seldom changed. Data that can be updated on a periodic basis but not in real time also matches this category.
Unfortunately, data is never really protected, even if it seems to be. To prevent unauthorised users from seeing, stealing, or otherwise modifying this data, standard security methods include encryption and the use of a hierarchical password protection scheme. Certain categories of information need additional security measures in order to meet regulatory obligations.
Safeguarding information at rest is far less of a challenge than guarding it in transit or while being processed.
Information shown visually over three time intervals.
There are distinct security considerations for each of these three categories of digital data. When data is unprocessed, it is at its most reliable.
Situations in which information is presently inactive
So data at rest is one of the three states that information may be in. It’s also possible, and the other two options are as follows:
Transforming Information
It is at this time that the data is being sent. It’s just data being transferred from one location to another. Information sent between cloud-based computers, or over a virtual private network, is one such instance. This is only a small selection of further examples.
In-use data
Data that is currently being processed, accessed, or read might be in this state. An example of data that is deemed “in use” is a user’s transaction history in a banking app.
Safety issues related to storing data.
Data security experts agree that protecting data during storage is the least complicated kind of protection. However, it may still make errors and be vulnerable to attacks from bad actors. The longer data is kept in a database or on a device, the more likely it is that these risks may materialise.
Unfortunately, the security of data kept on mobile devices is far worse than that of data stored on more traditional platforms. The increasing number of mobile devices poses a greater challenge to protecting user data. Information saved on them is less secure because of these two issues.
Consider the scenario of an employee who has access to confidential corporate data on their personal mobile device over an unsecured network. Even if data isn’t being actively used, it’s still at risk of theft. If the device is compromised, then unauthorised users might have access to the data stored on it.
Conclusion
Using dispersed storage solutions or outsourcing data storage increases the risk of compromise when the data is at rest. As more and more servers and businesses have access to the data, the greater the chance becomes that it may be compromised. Companies should research their potential partners’ information security practises before entrusting them with confidential data.
