Which statement correctly distinguishes data in transit from data at rest?

• A. Data in transit is data stored on devices; data at rest is data moving between locations.
• B. Data in transit is data moving between locations; data at rest is data stored on devices.
• C. Data in transit is always encrypted; data at rest is never encrypted.
• D. Data in transit is backups; data at rest is current live data.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to distinguish data by whether it is moving or stored. Data in transit is information that’s actively being sent between locations, such as a file being uploaded over the internet or an email traveling from one server to another. Data at rest is information that’s stored on devices or storage systems and not currently moving, like a file on a hard drive or a database at rest.

Encryption can occur in either state, so it’s not correct to say data in transit must be encrypted or that data at rest must never be encrypted. The correct statement captures the fundamental difference: data in transit is data moving between locations, while data at rest is data stored on devices.

The other options mix up the meanings or add false certainties (for example, claiming in transit is stored on devices or that in transit and at rest have fixed encryption rules, or equating in transit with backups).