7,200pm 2.5-Inch OPAL Self-Encrypting HDD by Toshiba

Toshiba Storage Device Division
announced a 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) that
provides government-grade AES-256 hardware encryption incorporated in
the disk drive’s controller electronics.

Based on the Opal Security Subsystem Class specification from the Trusted Computing Group
(TCG), the Toshiba SED enables secure and quick deployment of
encryption on notebook and desktop PCs to protect confidential
information. 

Many organizations are taking steps to comply with security policies and
new laws governing data privacy. The SED technology from Toshiba helps
IT departments achieve security without interrupting business flow or
impacting application performance.

SEDs designed to the Opal SSC specification provide access
authentication and built-in hardware data encryption. Because it is an
open industry standard, Opal encourages broad support from both security
solutions vendors and SED makers – enabling management of most
deployments that support both pre-existing software encryption and Opal
SSC-specified SED storage. SEDs designed to the Opal specification help
organizations protect data from theft or unauthorized access, while
easing the administrative burdens associated with re-purposing, or
retiring client systems and data storage.

The MKxx61GSYD
is the newest addition to the Toshiba family of drives designed for
commercial notebooks and security-sensitive applications, including
shared desktop PCs. 

The drive’s built-in hardware encryption
offers benefits that go beyond software encryption:

• Security: The Toshiba MKxx61GSYD provides AES-256
  encryption built into the drive’s electronics hardware. This
  government-grade encryption increases security for data that reside on
  the storage media. The Toshiba AES-256 encryption algorithm
  implementation is certified by the US National Institute of Standards
  and Technology (NIST) through its Cryptographic Algorithm Validation
  Program (CAVP). In addition, access to the Toshiba MKxx61GSYD SED can be
  securely administered or disabled remotely, using capabilities such as
  those enabled by Intel’s Active Management Technology (AMT).
• Ease of deployment: With SED storage, the initial
  encryption of OS files, applications, and user data is performed at full
  I/O speeds by the SED as the data are transferred to the disk
  media. With software encryption, loading of the OS, applications and
  user data must be completed prior to reading and encrypting the same
  data within the PC’s system memory and re-writing the encrypted data
  back to the drive. This ‘re-encryption cycle’ often takes hours and may
  create a security gap during initial system deployment. With SED drives,
  disk contents are encrypted as they are loaded, providing both a faster
  and more secure deployment process. These same advantages help to
  reduce IT support burdens when recovering or re-purposing a notebook or
  PC using SED storage.
• Compatibility:  The MKxx61GSYD is compatible with third
  party security management applications for notebook and other client
  PCs. Recognizing the need for stronger and more transparent deployment
  of encryption, independent software vendors (ISVs) have participated
  directly in the development of the TCG’s Opal SSC specification. As a
  result, Opal SSC is a supported industry standard with many security
  management software vendors supporting mixed environments of Opal
  SSC-compliant SEDs and legacy software encryption applications.
• Improved performance: Software encryption uses CPU cycles
  and system memory capacity, reducing the performance of
  applications. The hardware encryption built-into the MKxx61GSYD allows
  full storage I/O speeds, ensuring that users will experience no
  reduction in application performance due to background encryption
  processes.
• Transparency: Because SED security features are transparent
  to applications and operating systems, the MKxx61GSYD can be deployed
  into any managed security environment supporting the industry standard
  Opal SSC specification. The MKxx61GSYD model also provides features to
  support secure, role-based pre-boot access authentication such as that
  employed by the security management ISVs in their client security,
  enterprise client administration, and single-sign-on frameworks.
• Reduced cost and simplicity: The MKxx61GSYD has built-in
  hardware encryption and, therefore, can help eliminate expenses
  associated with software encryption licenses. The built-in encryption
  also eliminates the need to escrow media encryption keys, reducing the
  complexity of key management.

"The MKxx61GSYD helps organizations of all sizes to proactively
protect sensitive data and to ensure compliance with data privacy
regulations. Strong data encryption and access authentication are the
foundations for meeting the ‘safe harbour’ provisions of privacy
protection laws," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "By
working closely with leading security ISVs and technology enablers,
Toshiba is ensuring that our SED models integrate seamlessly into the
most widely supported managed security environments. IT organizations
can start to transition toward drive-based encryption in many cases
using their current security management environment and without
impacting legacy software encryption deployments."

"Encryption standards established by organizations such as the
Trusted Computing Group are making it significantly easier to deploy
security solutions such as self-encrypted HDDs on portable PCs," said IDC industry analyst, John Rydning. "Toshiba
is aiming squarely at the need for stronger data security by launching
its new mobile 2.5in HDD with AES 256 encryption embedded in the drive
hardware, and designed to the Trusted Computing Group’s Opal SSC
specification."

Toshiba is shipping samples of the MKxx61GSYD now. Volume production is scheduled for Q1 2011.
 
Specifications:

• Model number: MKxx61GSYD
• Maximum capacity (formatted): 640/500 // 320/250/160
• Number of platters: 2 // 1
• Areal density (max): 512.1 Gb/in²
• Media transfer rate (max): 1,575 Mbps
• Average seek time: 12 ms
• Rotational speed: 7,200 RPM
• Buffer memory: 16 MB
• Interface: Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/sec, Revision 2.6 (ATA-8)
• Interface transfer rate: 3 Gb/s
• External dimensions: (WxDxH) 69.85 mm x 100.0 mm x 9.5 mm
• Weight: 115/98 g (max)
• Energy consumption efficiency: 0.0013/0.0016/0.0025/0.0032/0.0050 W/GB
• Shock resistance: operating 3,185 m/s² (325 G) 2ms, non-operating 3,185 m/s² (325 G) 2ms
• Acoustics: idle 26 // 23 dB, seek 26 // 23 dB
• Certified encryption algorithms: AES-256 (FIPS 197), NIST CAVP – AES #1484
• Industry-standard access authentication and device management: TCG Storage Architecture Core Specification, TCG Storage Security Subsystem Class: Opal SSC

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