Toshiba and Intel to Demo vPro Technology

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD) will showcase its Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Opal Self Encrypting Drives (SEDs) in a demonstration highlighting secure access and remote management using the Intel vPro technology platform during the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco, September 22-24, 2009.

As corporate governance requirements, government regulations and other industry mandates for stronger data protection increase, TCG Opal-compliant SEDs will become an increasingly important component in the data protection equation. Unlike earlier SED offerings, TCG Opal-compliant SEDs provide standards-based protocols to facilitate widespread adoption by disk drive vendors, security management software providers, system integrators and security-conscious end users.

The IDF demonstration will be the first time SEDs are paired with Intel vPro technology to securely and remotely deliver down-the-wire access authentication. Management console applications can use Intel vPro technology to securely authenticate and access TCG Opal-compliant SEDs on remote PCs, even if the computer is powered off. This capability makes it possible to remotely perform software updates, security audits and maintenance tasks to on PCs in an enterprise domain.

"TCG Opal-compliant Self Encrypting Drives, such as Toshiba’s solution, strengthen client PC security, and with Intel vPro technology a company can provide unattended protected administrative access to enterprise PC clients in wired or wireless scenarios," said Tom Quillin, Director – Ecosystem Development, Intel Corporation. "Intel views security and manageability as inseparable and necessary functions in today’s computing environment. With vPro technology and TCG Opal-compliant SEDs, companies can now get manageable security."

SEDs greatly enhance the data security on any PC, especially laptops, which are at greater risk of being lost or stolen. The TCG Opal-specification provides a framework for delivering centrally managed encryption solutions. TCG Opal-compliant SEDS offer the benefits of stronger security through industry standardization of security protocols on the hard drive, providing easier use and lower cost of ownership with decreased management complexity.

Should a PC be lost or stolen, an IT administrator can take action to remotely disable the PC and instantly erase the encrypted data and applications on the SED, through Intel Anti-Theft Technology, which is available on some Intel vPro technology-enabled notebooks. Intel vPro technology enhances the manageability of PCs equipped with Opal-compliant SEDs by providing the mechanism through which IT administrators can authenticate and remotely access the unattended PC. Software updates and other administrative tasks can then be performed from virtually anywhere in the world, using a secure out-of-band communications channel to access and manage PCs that incorporate TCG Opal-compliant SEDs.

"In representing the TCG Opal-compliant SED vendor community at IDF, we hope that this demonstration with Intel will lay the groundwork for industry collaboration to create broad adoption of more robust and comprehensive security solutions," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "Together, Toshiba’s TCG Opal-compliant SEDs and Intel vPro technology deliver powerful and efficient security management capabilities, enabling large organizations to confidently and seamlessly protect data in a variety of computing environments."

The Toshiba-Intel demonstration will be on display at the ‘vPro Technology Zone’ during the IDF show. Toshiba plans to commercially introduce TCG Opal-compliant SEDs in 2010 and is working with security application developers and PC OEMs to create effective data protection and security management solutions.