The key to understanding the difference between these two types of encryption is understanding the two common states that data can exist in – at rest or in transit.
Data at rest is what we call data that is stored somewhere, on a hard drive, USB, or other digital storage space. This data is in a fixed location, and it doesn’t move. Data in transit is data that is being communicated or transferred. It’s moving between computers, networks, or across the internet. Encryption in transit involves scrambling the information while it’s being moved from one place to another.
Encryption at rest is the process of protecting the data while it is stored at its physical location.
Ensuring your information is encrypted when it is in both states is crucial to protecting the private data of your clients and your company.