Toshiba Debuts Self-Encrypting Drive Technology With Wave Systems

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD) will unveil its new self-encrypting drive technology in a demonstration with Wave Systems‘ Trusted Drive Manager application at the RSA Conference 2009, April 21-23, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Targeted for introduction early next year, Toshiba’s self-encrypting drive technology supports the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Storage Architecture Core Specification, as well as the Storage Security Subsystem Class (SSC) Opal Specification. At the RSA Conference 2009, Toshiba will showcase the TCG-Opal compliant self-encrypting drive for the first time.

Toshiba’s encryption solution is built around NIST-certified AES encryption technology fully integrated within the HDD controller chip. The encryption/decryption process occurs at full I/O speeds, delivering top performance while maintaining typical HDD power profiles. Toshiba’s self-encrypting drive technology also incorporates other certified algorithms to deliver robust authentication and access control, enabling TCG specification capabilities to provide stronger access security compared to currently available methods.

Toshiba is focused on delivering value-added hardware-based security for solutions designed to meet increasing corporate and consumer demand for strong data security in mobile PCs such as notebooks, which represents the highest-risk use case for data breaches. As IT managers, security solutions integrators, ISVs and PC OEMs begin to deploy standards-based security management solutions in mobile PCs, Toshiba is leading the way with hardware-based security technologies engineered to protect confidential company information and enable security management solutions to easily and cost-effectively comply with industry mandates for data protection.

"We believe the key to delivering robust data security lies in the creation of technology standards that advance a secure client storage platform the entire PC ecosystem can support," said Scott Wright, product manager at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "The TCG Storage specifications provide a standards-based framework enabling storage device makers to work with leading ISVs such as Wave Systems to create very robust client security solutions that are more secure, easier to manage and easier to deploy. To help customers realize these benefits, Toshiba is focused on delivering a full array of hardware-embedded security features to security management solutions providers as evidenced in this first demonstration at the RSA Conference."

Toshiba self-encrypting drives with industry standard TCG-Opal SSC support are scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2010 as the company continues to work with Wave Systems to develop a fully integrated solution. Toshiba will demonstrate this technology in conjunction with Wave Systems at the Wave Systems’ booth at the RSA Conference 2009.

"Self-encrypting drives provide a great defense against the growing problem of data breaches today, offering performance and security advantages over aftermarket software encryption solutions," said Lark Allen, executive vice president at Wave Systems. "Toshiba is at the forefront of the movement to bring an integrated, hardware-based solution to today’s enterprise. Because Toshiba drives are based on the TCG’s Opal Storage Specification, they’re ideal for deploying across heterogeneous environments."