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Best VMS that encrypt stored footage at rest

Most self-hosted VMS store plain video files. These are the ones that actually encrypt footage at rest — a real privacy differentiator.

  1. NoviscanTested on our bench

    Encrypts cached media at rest by default — no toggle, no higher edition required.

  2. Synology Surveillance StationNot yet benchmarked

    AES-256 encryption via a DSM encrypted shared folder (you must enable it).

  3. Nx WitnessNot yet benchmarked

    Optional 'Encrypted Archives' (AES) — off by default, must be enabled.

  4. Milestone XProtectNot yet benchmarked

    Media-database encryption plus tamper-evident signing — but only in the Expert/Corporate editions.

Each product links to its detailed review, criteria and dated sources. See the Methodology.