What type of data does disk-level encryption protect against?

Disk-level encryption is designed to protect data stored on a physical disk, making it unreadable to unauthorized users. This type of encryption is particularly effective at preventing information snooping after device theft, as it secures the data at rest. If a device is lost or stolen, disk-level encryption ensures that the stored data remains encrypted and inaccessible without the appropriate authentication.

Because the encryption is applied at the disk level, it addresses the risks associated with physical theft directly. The data cannot be easily recovered or deciphered by anyone who does not have the necessary credentials to unlock the encryption, thus safeguarding sensitive information from prying eyes.

In contrast, the other options involve different types of data handling scenarios. Data in transit refers to information being transferred over a network, while data transfers between devices relate to the movement of files from one device to another, neither of which are the focus of disk-level encryption. Cloud-stored data exists in third-party storage solutions, and while it may have its own encryption measures, disk-level encryption does not address this type of data directly.