In evidence recovery, what does data at rest refer to?

Data at rest refers specifically to information that is stored on a device and not actively utilized by any applications. This encompasses any data that is saved on physical storage devices such as hard drives, solid-state drives, or cloud-based storage solutions. This concept is crucial in the context of evidence recovery, as it generally implies that the data remains unchanged and is relatively stable, making it ideal for forensic analysis.

Data at rest can include a variety of content, such as documents, databases, photographs, and other types of files that exist in their stored state until called upon by an application or user. Understanding this distinction is essential for investigators, as the integrity of data at rest can be more easily preserved for examination compared to data that is actively in use or in transit.