Samsung, Dell provide data encryption for SSDs
Samsung Electronics on Thursday said it is boosting security on solid-state drives by bundling data encryption software with SSDs it ships.
The company is bundling software from Wave Systems' Embassy management software to encrypt data on its SSDs with storage ranging from 64GB and 256GB.
The drives with encryption software will be available from PC makers, Samsung said in a statement. Coinciding with Samsung's announcement, Dell said it would offer the self-encrypting SSDs with its Latitude line of laptops in the upcoming months.
SSDs are gaining popularity, particularly for use in laptops, because they consume less power and access data more quickly than hard drives. SSDs store data on flash-memory chips and are emerging as an alternative to hard drives, which store data on spinning magnetic platters. Adding encryption could protect laptop data and deter security breaches.
Full-disk encryption is already available for hard drives, but this is the first time it is available for SSDs, Samsung said. The software automatically encrypts information as data is stored on the SSDs.
Samsung claims that SSD performance is not affected by encryption because it has no moving parts.
IDG News Service
Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world
On Twitter now
dell
Powered by Twitter
Esther Schindler
If the comments are ugly, the code is ugly
claird
SVG a graphics format for 21st century
pasmith
Take Chrome OS for a test spin
Sandra Henry-Stocker
Solaris Tip: Have Your Files Changed Since Installation?
jfruh
Android fragments vs. the iPhone monolith
mikelgan
What Gizmodo missed about the Pro WX Wireless USB disk drive
Where Google Chrome security fails: the password
I heard mention that the Chrome OS will have some sort of encryption available a la bitlocker. If it's possible to encrypt personal data using another password or key, then it may have potential for very secure data.... And Ubuntu has an 'encrypt home directory' option, perhaps google should follow suit.
- Dann
Join the conversation here
Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
Want to cash in on your IT savvy? Send your tip to tips@itworld.com. If we post it, we'll send you a $25 Amazon e-gift card.
