selective-encrypted-storage-pattern

Field-level encryption encrypts only designated sensitive data elements before storage, leaving non-sensitive data in plaintext. This approach ensures application-level control over sensitive information while allowing other profile data to remain searchable and accessible.

Protecting PII in application storage is achieved by encrypting specific sensitive data fields before they are saved. The application determines what to encrypt and manages the cryptographic primitives for secure data persistence.

Yes, field-level encryption leaves non-sensitive data in plaintext. By selectively encrypting only designated data elements at rest, the application ensures other user profile information remains fully searchable and accessible.

Application-level key management for data at rest involves the application managing the encryption and decryption operations. It handles key information and configuration to securely persist sensitive data before storage and decrypt it after retrieval.

Field-level encryption for data protection is not suitable when you need to query or search the encrypted sensitive data elements directly. Because the data is encrypted before storage, the underlying database cannot perform searches on the encrypted fields.