Page 14 - Security Today, May/June 2021

featuring TCG Opal 2.0 security management solutions such as SymantecTM, McAfeeTM, WinMagic® and others.
Microsoft eDrive Support. Microsoft eDrive is a security stor- age specification for use with BitLocker, a popular program that is included in the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 8 and above. While an SSD may feature AES 256-bit encryption, your data would remain exposed if anyone were to gain physical access to it, unless the encryption is used in conjunction with eDrive or any of the other security management solutions previously men- tioned. In other words, AES 256-bit encryption on an SSD pro- vides a fence around the data. The software solution is the lock that keeps the fence closed.
So, what’s the big fuss about SSDs? Haven’t HDDs been the standard for years? Here’s a quick comparison of the two. (See table 1 on page 12).
Strictly speaking, SSDs cost more than HDDs. However, the overall gap is narrowing, and the SSD dollar-per-GB price is down considerably the past several years. That paired with the overall benefits makes SSDs an easy choice. To give you an idea of what to look for, here are two encrypted SSDs from Kingston Technology. One with a SATA interface (KC600), the other with an NVMe PCIe interface (KC2500).
Kingston’s KC600 is a full-capacity SSD designed to provide re- markable performance and optimized to provide functional system responsiveness with incredible boot, loading and transfer times. It comes in a 2.5” form factor using SATA Rev 3.0 interface with back- ward compatibility. KC600 uses the latest 3D TLC NAND technol- ogy while supporting a full-security suite that includes AES 256-bit hardware encryption, TCG Opal 2.0, and eDrive. It features read/ write speeds up to 550/520MB/s to efficiently store up to 2TB of data. It is available in a bundle kit, which provides everything needed
for a smooth and easy desktop or notebook installation and upgrade. Kingston’s KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD delivers powerful per- formance using the latest Gen 3.0 x 4 controller and 96-layer 3D TLC NAND. With read/write speeds up to 3,500/2,900MB/s, KC2500 delivers outstanding endurance and improves the work- flow in desktop, workstations, and high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Its compact M.2 design gives greater flexibility, increasing storage and saving space. Available in capacities from 250GB–2TB, the KC2500 is a self-encrypting drive that supports end-to-end data protection using AES-XTS 256-bit hardware- based encryption and allows the usage of independent software vendors with TCG Opal 2.0 security management solutions such
as SymantecTM, McAfeeTM, WinMagic® and others.
Upgrading your workforce to the latest generation of SSDs
will also deliver efficiency and performance benefits. If you’re thinking about making the move or upgrading your systems to SSDs consider encrypted solutions.
Keith Schimmenti is currently the business manager, Channel SSD business unit at Kingston Technology.
REFERENCE
1. Initially conducted April 2020, Gallup tracks employed U.S. adults’ re- mote work status as part of its COVID-19 tracking
survey, conducted by web using the Gallup Panel. The
latest update was conducted Jan. 25-31, 2021.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/329501/majority- workers-continue-punch-virtually.aspx?utm_ source=tagrss&utm_medium=rss&utm_ campaign=syndication
ENCRYPTION