Which encryption type would mitigate a security breach if backup tapes are lost or stolen in transit?

Which encryption type would mitigate a security breach if backup tapes are lost or stolen in transit?

• A. Transmission level encryption
• B. Transport layer encryption
• C. Hard drive encryption
• D. File level encryption

Answer: (C)

Protecting data at rest on the backup media is what mitigates risks when tapes are lost or stolen in transit. Hard drive encryption provides full-disk (or full-media) encryption, so every byte of the backup is unreadable without the encryption key. Even if the tapes fall into the wrong hands, the contents remain protected because the data cannot be decrypted without the key. In contrast, encryption that targets data in transit (transmission or transport layer) only protects data while it’s moving and offers no safeguard once the media is in possession of an unauthorized party. File-level encryption protects individual files but can miss other data in the backup, and managing keys for many files can complicate restores. Full-media encryption covers the entire backup set, making it the more comprehensive choice for this scenario.

Protecting data at rest on the backup media is what mitigates risks when tapes are lost or stolen in transit. Hard drive encryption provides full-disk (or full-media) encryption, so every byte of the backup is unreadable without the encryption key. Even if the tapes fall into the wrong hands, the contents remain protected because the data cannot be decrypted without the key.

In contrast, encryption that targets data in transit (transmission or transport layer) only protects data while it’s moving and offers no safeguard once the media is in possession of an unauthorized party. File-level encryption protects individual files but can miss other data in the backup, and managing keys for many files can complicate restores. Full-media encryption covers the entire backup set, making it the more comprehensive choice for this scenario.