Overview
This webinar explores why true Data-at-Rest (DAR) protection requires far more than simply deploying self-encrypting drives (SEDs) or relying on hardware encryption alone. Presented by Conner Crisafulli, Field Solutions Engineer, the session examines the growing importance of protecting sensitive data across edge environments, mission systems, autonomous platforms, and AI-driven infrastructures where more data is being stored locally than ever before. The discussion addresses a common misconception in cybersecurity and federal data protection: that an encrypted drive automatically means protected data. While SEDs and FIPS-certified hardware provide an important foundation, they do not by themselves ensure secure access control or comprehensive DAR protection.
The webinar provides a practical breakdown of the CSfC Data-at-Rest architecture, including how hardware full-drive encryption, software full-drive encryption, pre-boot authentication, and pre-OS authentication work together to create layered protection. It also explores why CSfC DAR implementations have historically been difficult to scale, covering operational challenges such as manual provisioning, platform limitations, administrative burden, and inconsistent deployments. The session concludes with a look at scalable deployment and administration models designed to support long-term sustainment, centralized management, and real-world operational feasibility across enterprise and mission environments.
Topics Covered:
- Why protecting DAR is becoming more critical across edge and mission systems
- The misconception that encrypted drives automatically equal protected data
- How CSfC dual-layer DAR architecture works in practice
- The role of pre-boot and pre-OS authentication
- Why scalable deployment and administration have historically been difficult
- The operational realities of managing DAR protection at enterprise scale
- What modern, scalable CSfC deployment models should look like
