CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

A company that provides a cloud-based storage solution for consumers needs to ensure that users' data is encrypted while it is stored on its premises. Which of the following should be used to accomplish this task?

1. SSL

2. HMAC

3. SHA

4. RC4

The correct answer is: SSL

To ensure that users' data is encrypted while stored on premises, it is essential to use a method specifically designed for encryption, which focuses on securing data at rest. SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is primarily used for securing communications over networks by creating an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. While SSL itself may not directly encrypt stored data, it does utilize encryption protocols that are foundational in secure communication contexts. However, in terms of protecting data at rest, SSL is not the most appropriate choice as its primary purpose is not encryption of stored data, but rather securing data in transit. Other options like HMAC, SHA, and RC4 also do not directly cater to encrypting data at rest in the way the question is specifically addressing. HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code) provides data integrity and authenticity but does not encrypt data. SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) is another hashing technique used for data integrity rather than encryption. RC4, while a stream cipher used for encryption, has known vulnerabilities that make it less suited for secure applications today. For effectively encrypting data stored on premises in a cloud storage solution, a more suitable encryption algorithm or method specifically designed for encrypting at rest would need to be utilized rather than SSL alone