this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2024
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Value of "encrypted at rest" data (self.learn_programming)
submitted 3 weeks ago by thirdBreakfast to c/[email protected]
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I'm writing a specification for a web app that will store sensitive user data, and the stakeholder asked that I consider a number of fairly standard security practices, but also including that the data be "encrypted at rest", i.e. so that if someone gains physical access to the hard disk at some later date the user data can't be retrieved.

The app is to be Node/Express on a VPS (probably against sqlite3), so since I would be doing that using an environmental variable stored in a file on that same computing instance, is that really providing any extra security?

I guess cloud big boys would be using key management systems to move the key off the local instance, and I could replicate that by using (Hashicorp Vault?) or building a service to keep the key elsewhere, but then I'd need secure access to that service, which once again would involve a key being stored locally.

What's your thoughts, experience, or usual practice around this?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

"Physical access to the hard disk at a later date" sounds like the threat model they have in mind is someone forgetting to drill a hole through the drives after decom, in which case I'd guess they're asking for fde that gets unlocked at spin up/keys stored in ram?

If I were you I'd go back to the stakeholder and make them clarify that part of the requirement/what they expect it to accomplish with it and what level of inconvenience they're willing to accept.