Which term refers to encryption of all data on a disk, including system and temporary files, across OS, software, or hardware implementations?

Which term refers to encryption of all data on a disk, including system and temporary files, across OS, software, or hardware implementations?

• A. Full disk encryption (FDE)
• B. Self-encrypting drives (SED)
• C. Web filtering
• D. Isolation

Answer: (A)

Full-disk encryption means encrypting every bit on a storage device, including the operating system, system files, and temporary data, so the data remains unreadable at rest even if the disk is moved or accessed without proper authentication. It can be implemented at software level, by the OS, or at hardware level, by the drive itself, yet the overall approach covers the entire disk. Self-encrypting drives are a hardware-based way to achieve this same goal, but they are a specific implementation of full-disk encryption, not a different concept. Web filtering and isolation refer to unrelated security ideas—web filtering controls content access, and isolation is about separating processes or environments. Therefore, the term that fits the description is full-disk encryption.

Full-disk encryption means encrypting every bit on a storage device, including the operating system, system files, and temporary data, so the data remains unreadable at rest even if the disk is moved or accessed without proper authentication. It can be implemented at software level, by the OS, or at hardware level, by the drive itself, yet the overall approach covers the entire disk. Self-encrypting drives are a hardware-based way to achieve this same goal, but they are a specific implementation of full-disk encryption, not a different concept. Web filtering and isolation refer to unrelated security ideas—web filtering controls content access, and isolation is about separating processes or environments. Therefore, the term that fits the description is full-disk encryption.