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There is no single encryption algorithm that is right for both stored data and network traffic. Choose according to the data’s form and the security properties you need: XTS-AES is a storage-device confidentiality option, authenticated encryption such as GCM is a better fit when application data also needs tamper detection, and network traffic should be protected with a maintained TLS implementation configured for your requirements. Plan key management alongside any of these choices.
Start by identifying what you are protecting
“Data at rest” can mean an entire disk or block device, a database or storage layer, or individual application records and fields. Those are different technical contexts, so a mode designed for one should not be treated as a universal answer for the others. Data in transit—such as client/server or service-to-service traffic—has a different practical decision: use and configure a transport security protocol rather than assembling a protocol from a list of encryption primitives.
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Before choosing, establish what an attacker might be able to do and what protection the system must provide. In particular, decide whether confidentiality alone is sufficient or whether the system must also detect unauthorized changes to protected data.
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| Situation | Candidate direction | Important limitation or decision | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block-oriented storage device, such as disk encryption | XTS-AES, within its storage-device scope | Provides confidentiality; it does not authenticate data or its source. | Device and platform support, key scope, performance, threat model, and whether separate integrity controls are needed. |
| Application records or fields that need confidentiality and tamper detection | Authenticated encryption such as GCM | Implementation and management of inputs such as nonces or IVs must be correct. | Integrity requirements, available library or platform APIs, nonce/IV handling, and applicable compliance constraints. |
| Client/server or service network traffic | A maintained TLS implementation, configured for the system | Protocol support, configuration, certificates, and compatibility matter; cipher names alone are not a transport design. | Supported TLS versions, certificate validation, interoperability, and the requirements governing the deployment. |
This is a selection framework, not a complete configuration. Validate exact parameter choices against the current standard and the documentation for the library or platform you deploy.
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Choose storage encryption according to the data layout
Block devices
NIST SP 800-38E approves XTS-AES as an option for confidentiality on storage devices. Its scope matters: it is not a generic recommendation for every stored record. NIST also states that XTS-AES does not authenticate data or its source, so do not rely on it to detect modification or establish who produced the data.
Application records and fields
When stored application data needs both confidentiality and integrity, an authenticated-encryption mode such as GCM has a different service profile from XTS-AES. NIST SP 800-38D specifies GCM and GMAC. Use an established library or platform API, and verify its requirements for inputs such as nonces or IVs; the mode name by itself does not guarantee a correct implementation.
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Protect traffic with TLS, not a hand-built cipher combination
For network traffic, the operational choice is a maintained TLS implementation and its configuration: protocol-version support, certificate handling, interoperability, and the requirements that apply to the system and its users. Do not build a custom protocol by selecting an encryption algorithm in isolation.
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Make key management part of the design
Encryption only helps while keys are protected and usable in a controlled way. Decide how keys will be protected, who and what can access them, how they will be backed up and recovered, and how their lifecycle and operational controls will be managed. NIST SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5 is a general reference for cryptographic key-management guidance and best practices. The precise controls depend on the deployment; selecting an algorithm does not settle them.
Use current standards carefully
- TLS guidance: NIST published SP 800-52 Rev. 2 on August 29, 2019. A NIST planning note dated May 7, 2026 says the publication is under review.
- GCM: NIST published SP 800-38D on November 28, 2007. Its page carries a March 6, 2024 planning note that the publication will be revised.
- XTS-AES: NIST published SP 800-38E on January 18, 2010. NIST published an initial public draft of SP 800-38E Revision 1 on September 3, 2026; it references IEEE Std. 1619-2025 and clarifies scope and requirements. As of October 4, 2026, that revision is a draft, with comments due October 16, 2026—not a final replacement standard.
- Key management: NIST published SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5 on May 4, 2020.
For a real deployment, check the current status and applicable edition of the standard as well as the implementation documentation. The dates above distinguish published guidance from a draft or a publication that NIST has said will be revised.
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