Toshiba Adds Self-Encryption to New SSD, Mobile Drives

NAND flash storage maker is upping the ante in security by embedding government-grade Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit self-encryption.

LAS VEGAS — Toshiba America's Electronic Components division on Jan. 6 launched four new 2.5-inch Serial ATA (SATA) drives embedded with cryptographic-erase and self-encrypting features for both enterprise and mobile storage devices.

The announcement was made on Day 1 of the Storage Visions 2013 conference at the Riviera Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Two of the new models are enterprise SAS solid-state drives and two are mobile SATA hard-disk drives. All four of the new 2.5-inch storage devices provide IT system and PC system administrators with upgraded tools to secure sensitive business information, Toshiba said.

For the enterprise, the PX02AMU value line of SATA eSSD models and PX03ANU read-intensive line of SATA solid-state drive (SSD) models feature cryptographic-erase. In addition, the PX02SMQ/U series offers Trusted Computing Group (TCG) enterprise protocol self-encryption and cryptographic-erase support in high-performance eSSD SAS models.

For mobile computing, the MQ01ABU series provides self-encryption, cryptographic-erase and TCG-Opal protocol support in an extremely thin 7mm form factor with up to 500GB of storage capacity. The MQ01ABU series also supports Toshiba's wipe technology, which allows systems designers to automatically cryptographically-erase data if a hacker or other infiltrator attempts to access the HDDs or if a defined number of authentication failures occurs.

To safeguard confidential business data, the new drives use government-grade Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit self-encryption, and the PX02SMQ/U series SEDs support the TCG Enterprise Security Subsystem Class (SSC) protocols to provide additional security features.

Sample shipments of the SATA eSSD drives are scheduled for later this month to existing Toshiba customers. Sample shipments are scheduled to begin later in the first quarter of 2013 for the SAS eSSD SED drives and mobile SATA HDD SED models.