TCG and its members created a non-proprietary way to ensure data on storage devices, such as hard disk drives or solid state (flash) drives. The industry specifications for self-encrypting drives (http://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/work-groups/storage/).

SEDs, available from all major drive makers and many others, now are embedded into almost all new drives and enterprise storage systems. These drives provide always-on, constant encryption of data that does not impact drive performance and cannot be turned off by users – two major issues with traditional software-based encryption approaches.

In the mobile world, these SEDs keep data safe on iPhones and tablets and are used in embedded systems to protect sensitive information. Why does this matter? Data breaches continue to happen. In fact, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse says184,653,143 records have been lost from portable and stationary devices (computers, drives, portable drives, etc.) in reported data breaches 2005-2016.

And, organizations face challenges complying with a growing number of data breach regulations and other regulations and dealing with the disposal or re-purposing of drives.

SEDs truly have proven to be a solid solution to all of these issues. Data is protected while it’s on the drive, thanks to encryption that is build into the drive controller. Keys never leave the drive. This kind of encryption satisfies the concept of safe harbor, supporting compliance. And, SEDs provide instant erase – meaning that IT staffs no longer have to physically destroy drives, pay third parties to do so and risk misplacing data.

Learn more about SEDs, including how they’re used in data centers and major enterprises, in a new webcast.