Which encryption standard is recommended for data at rest on Alibaba Cloud?

The recommended encryption standard for data at rest on Alibaba Cloud is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). This is due to AES's combination of security and performance, making it a widely accepted encryption method for protecting sensitive data stored on cloud services.

AES uses symmetric key encryption, meaning the same key is used for both encryption and decryption. This approach allows for efficient encryption processes, which is crucial for cloud environments where large volumes of data may need to be encrypted swiftly without compromising security. AES supports key lengths of 128, 192, and 256 bits, offering flexibility and increased protection against brute-force attacks, with the 256-bit version being particularly strong.

In contrast, RSA is primarily used for secure key exchange rather than encrypting large amounts of data directly, and while it is a robust asymmetric encryption algorithm, it is less efficient for encrypting data at rest. DES is considered outdated and less secure due to its shorter key length, and it is no longer recommended for secure applications. SHA is a hashing algorithm used for verifying data integrity rather than encryption, which further distinguishes it from encryption standards like AES.

Given these factors, AES stands out as the optimal choice for encrypting data at rest on cloud platforms like Alibaba Cloud, ensuring both