Toshiba debuts self-erasing hard drives for enhanced security

Toshiba has introduced a family of new hard disk drives that offers the promise of greatly enhanced data security. The proprietary technology in the company's new MKx61GSYG series of self-encrypting drive (SED) will automatically sense if it has been connected to an unknown system, and proceed to either perform a data wipe or deny access to its data. It is understood that customers can apply the data scrambling feature to specific portions (cryptographic erase) of the drive as well as define the trigger parameters.

The 2.5-inch SATA-based SED operates at 7,200RPM and will automatically store data using very strong AES256 encryption. Prices have not been revealed at this point, though they will be available in capacities of 160GB, 250GB 320GB, 500GB and 640GB. As reported by eWeek, Toshiba's data-wipe technology is in its second generation and designed according to the "Opal" storage specification of the Trusted Computing Group.

The SED will obviously be at home on high-risk laptops that could be targeted for theft, as well as sensitive systems such as copiers, point-of-sales terminals and other sensitive systems from the government or finance sector. Toshiba says it will be sending SEDs to select system manufacturers and software vendors later this quarter for integration in their products.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at eWeek
- check out this article at CNET News
- check out this article at PC World

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