What are the common encryption standards and protocols for NAS?

1 Data-at-rest encryption

Data-at-rest encryption refers to encrypting the data stored on the NAS device itself. This can prevent unauthorized users from accessing the data if they physically access the device or remove the hard drives. Data-at-rest encryption can be implemented at different levels, such as disk, volume, or file encryption. Disk encryption encrypts the entire disk, while volume encryption encrypts a specific partition or logical unit. File encryption encrypts individual files or folders. Some NAS devices support built-in data-at-rest encryption features, while others require third-party software or hardware.

2 Data-in-transit encryption

Data-in-transit encryption refers to encrypting the data that is transferred between the NAS device and the network clients. This can prevent unauthorized users from intercepting, modifying, or stealing the data as it travels over the network. Data-in-transit encryption can be implemented using different protocols, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Secure Shell (SSH), or Internet Protocol Security (IPsec). These protocols use cryptographic algorithms and keys to encrypt and decrypt the data, and to authenticate the communication parties.

3 Encryption standards and algorithms

Encryption standards and algorithms are the rules and methods that define how encryption and decryption are performed. There are many available, but some of the most common ones for NAS are Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), RSA, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). AES is a symmetric-key encryption standard using the same key to encrypt and decrypt data; it is widely used and considered very secure, supporting key lengths such as 128, 192, or 256 bits. RSA is an asymmetric-key encryption standard utilizing a pair of keys, one public and one private, to encrypt and decrypt data; it is often used to exchange keys or to sign digital certificates, supporting key lengths such as 1024, 2048, or 4096 bits. ECC is an asymmetric-key encryption standard that uses mathematical curves to generate keys and perform encryption and decryption; it is more efficient and secure than RSA for the same key length, supporting curve types such as P-256, P-384, or P-521.

4 Encryption tools and software

Encryption tools and software are applications and programs that enable users to encrypt and decrypt data on their NAS devices. Popular encryption tools and software for NAS include BitLocker, VeraCrypt, and Cryptomator. BitLocker is a disk encryption tool integrated with Windows operating systems that can encrypt an entire disk or specific volumes on the NAS device using AES as the encryption algorithm. VeraCrypt is a disk encryption tool compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems that can encrypt the entire disk, specific volumes, or individual files on the NAS device using AES, Serpent, or Twofish as the encryption algorithm. Cryptomator is a file encryption tool compatible with Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems that can encrypt individual files or folders on the NAS device using AES as the encryption algorithm.

5 Encryption best practices

Encryption best practices are the guidelines and recommendations that users should follow to ensure effective and secure encryption of their NAS data. It is important to choose a strong encryption standard and algorithm that suits your needs and preferences, taking into account factors such as security, performance, compatibility, and compliance. Additionally, you should use a strong and unique encryption key that is hard to guess or crack. It is also wise to encrypt both data-at-rest and data-in-transit to protect your data from different types of attacks, while using appropriate protocols and certificates to establish secure connections and verify identities. Lastly, it is essential to backup your encrypted data regularly and test your recovery process; this can help you avoid data loss or corruption in the event of hardware failure, malware infection, or human error.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?