Why Use Hardware Encryption?

Sensitive data needs strong security.

With data breach and theft at an all-time high, data protection is critically important for devices that store sensitive information. But traditional software-based encryption—with performance degradation, high implementation and management costs, and security vulnerabilities—makes hardware-based encryption a better technology for securing data.

How is hardware-based encryption superior to software-based encryption?
Hardware-based encryption outshines software-based encryption in three major categories:

• Performance: Hardware encryption maximizes performance and is invisible to the user, while software encryption burdens the CPU and slows performance.
• Total cost of ownership (TCO): Hardware encryption is an easily integrated, cost-effective data security solution. In fact, SEDs offer the lowest TCO for encryption solutions with the best performance, lowest acquisition costs, higher user productivity, and simplest IT management and deployment. (Source: Report by Trusted Computing Group, Sept. 2010)
• Data security: 256-bit hardware-based self-encryption and user authentication offer superior protection against data breaches, loss, and theft compared to software-based encryption, which is vulnerable to attack through the memory, operating system, and BIOS. Hardware-based encryption is performed in the hardware—user authentication is performed by the drive before it will unlock, independent of the operating system.

Key advantages of the Micron C400 SED:
Our RealSSD™ C400 Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) is a client-focused hard drive replacement that provides the same power, performance, and reliability as our standard C400 drive, but with the added function of secure self-encryption. The C400 SED SSD is an ideal solution for any computing application that needs easily integrated, cost-effective data protection.

• Strong security technologies: Our onboard controller doubles as a 256-bit encryption engine. Working with our Micron firmware algorithms, it provides strong data security.
• Complete, compliant data-security solution: Our TCG-Opal-compliant SED works with third-party ISV management tools to provide a verifiable path for data security, meeting industry standards for trusted peripherals and government regulations.
• Broad range of capacities and form factors: Available in 1.8” and 2.5” form factors in capacities of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

Hardware self-encryption is ideal for these applications:

• Corporate laptops
• Healthcare industry
• Finance and banking industries
• Government