Seagate HDDs/SSDs With Encryption Key Management Software and Services

Seagate Technology plc announced that its portfolio HDDs and SSDs designed to meet federal security standards integrate with encryption key management software and services from Fornetix, LLC.

The integration gives federal government agencies another line of defense against external and internal cyber-security threats by providing a secure and way to manage and ensure data encryption.

“Secure storage is a universal need, but organizations like federal agencies face additional pressures when it comes to security, encryption and ensuring data is accessible to only those who should have access,” said Deb Oliver, president, government solutions, Seagate. “Seagate has a long history of providing technologies that meet the most stringent security standards, and our integration with Fornetix extends this commitment by deepening the security we provide down to the key management level.“

Led by the company’s government solutions business, the integration involves drives that meet Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 140-2 (FIPS PUB140-2) requirements, a US government computer security standard used for approving cryptographic modules. The company’s FIPS PUB140-2 drives integrate with Fornetix Key Orchestration products and services, which help manage the digital keys found on drives that help secure data. The resulting combination makes it easier to dynamically manage and re-key drives as needed – an often cumbersome and difficult process – without compromising data security.

The company offers FIPS PUB140-2-compliant drives, which are included in this integration. These drives are also compatible with storage appliances and systems, including firm’s ClusterStor Secure Data Appliance (SDA), an industry’s secure scale-out parallel file system solution. Developed specifically for the federal market, ClusterStor SDA enables tens of thousands of users with different security classifications to connect to a single-server storage environment, allowing access to only those who should have it. The inclusion of FIPS PUB140-2 drives with Fornetix Key Orchestration products adds another layer of encryption-based security to meet federal data management needs without the additional overhead traditionally associated with added encryption tools.

“Fornetix is teaming up with Seagate to help expand the level of data encryption capabilities we’re able to offer the federal government and other organizations,” said Jack Wright, COO and acting CEO, Fornetix. “Our secure key management, coupled with Seagate’s experience securely managing data from the drive to the systems level, provides users with a set of technology tools that make data encryption more affordable, secure and easier to manage.“

The integrated Seagate and Fornetix products are also part of the Multilevel Security (MLS) ecosystem, a joint effort in collaboration with multiple organizations to address data security requirements for the federal government. The products comply with the MLS ecosystem’s framework of integrated, automated technology that enables secure workflow for government customers, eliminating costly data stovepipes while accommodating various levels of security clearance from a single storage platform.

Seagate and Fornetix products are available from the company’s government solutions. Both companies demonstrated their product integration at the RSA Conference 2017 in San Francisco, CA, February 13-17.