Seagate 10K.3 Self-Encrypting Drives for Servers, NAS, and SAN Arrays - Page 5

Self-Encrypting Drives for Servers, NAS and SAN Arrays Figure 1. Several years ago, before Seagate began working on drive encryption, the United States National Security Agency (NSA) analyzed the problem of data security and determined that the best place to perform encryption is in the hard drive. It's a well-known security maxim that guards should be placed as close to the jewels as possible. Similarly, encrypting within the hard drive is optimal because that's precisely where the data resides. SEDs boast superior technology to provide full disk encryption, lowering total cost of ownership for servers' direct-attached storage, SANs and NAS storage while delivering compelling advantages: • Simplified Key Management: SED eliminates the need to track or manage a data encryption key; when used for secure erase only, there's no need to track or manage an authentication key either. • Reduced Costs via Standardized Technology: Employing industry-standardized technology cuts costs and ensures common technology is used across SAN, NAS, server, desktop, notebook and portable storage platforms. • Optimum Storage Efficiency: Unlike some encryption technologies, SED enables data compression and de-duplication to maximize value of disk storage capacity. • Increased Data Integrity: SED enables Protection Information, the future of data integrity, and does not impact hard drive's reliability or warranty. • Maximum Performance and Scalability: SED performs at full drive speed while also scaling linearly and automatically. • No Data Classification: Expensive, timeconsuming data classification is not needed to maintain peak performance. • Reduced Re-Encryption: SED ensures there is less need to re-key and re-encrypt, because the data encryption key is never exposed. • Superior Security: NSA qualified the first SED model. SED doesn't weaken security by needlessly encrypting the storage fabric, which exposes long-lived cipher text and keys. SED leaves over-the-wire encryption to technologies designed for securing data in motion 5