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Seagate introduces self-encrypting server drives
posted on 07 April 2008 12:58
The disk equivalent of encrypting LTO-4 tape drives has finally arrived with Seagate's Cheetah self-encrypting hard drives for storage arrays and servers.
The Cheetah 3.5-inch,15.6 FDE, meaning Full Disk Encryption, is an enterprise drive rotating at 15,000rpm. It comes with both Fibre Channel and SAS interfaces and has an optimising power supply.
Seagate is plugging the idea that it will help stop people getting sensitive data off retired drives, saying that upwards of 50,000 enterprise drives are retired each year.
The encryption engine is in the drive's controller ASIC, meaning encryption doesn't require host CPU cycles. Also, Instantaneous Key-Erase technology on the drive facilitates quick and secure removal, whether for repurposing, returning for service, or disposal.
The drive is available in 450GB, 300GB, and 147GB capacity points and will ship this quarter to OEM suppliers.
We can surely expect Western Digital and Hitachi GST to follow suit and also the spread of encryption technology to 2.5-inch drives.
[Chris Mellor.]
tags: encryption
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Seagate introduces self-encrypting server drives