Toshiba Eyes the Enterprise with Secure SSDs

Toshiba is making the case for secure solid-state drives (SSDs) in the data center with new devices aimed at keeping business information out of the reach of thieves and hackers.

The company unveiled new self-encrypting SATA and SAS SSDs that wrap critical corporate information, like trade secrets or sensitive customer data, in a 256-bit AES encryption. But that’s only part of what Toshiba has in store for security-conscious storage managers. Toshiba’s new PX02AMU SATA and PX03ANU SATA 2.5-inch SSD feature cryptographic-erase can quickly turn the data that resides on them unreadable.

In a company statement, Toshiba explains, “Unlike a regular disk erase, which uses lengthy over-write operations, the Cryptographic-Erase function simply regenerates the SED drive’s encryption key, effectively invalidating all previously stored user data. This allows SED storage devices to be quickly and securely sanitized before re-allocation, redeployment or retirement.”

The technology, also present in Toshiba’s new MQ01ABU series mobile hard disk drives (HDDs), can be invoked after one too many failed attempts to retrieve it.

According to Scott Wright, a product manager for Toshiba Storage Products, his company’s tech can help organizations avert costly data security mishaps. “According to Symantec, the average cost of an enterprise data breach is $5.5 million. System administrators can help to better secure sensitive data by using encrypted storage devices,” informed Wright in press remarks.

“Toshiba’s latest eSSD and mobile HDD SED models provide the advanced security features companies need to properly sanitize SSDs in server and storage subsystems and ensure the security of private data on HDDs in mobile and desktop PCs to help prevent costly data breaches,” added Wright.

Aimed at entry and mid-range servers and storage systems, Toshiba’s PX02AMU and PX03ANU SATA MLC SSDs are suitable for read-intensive operations, claims the company. The PX02AMU will ship in capacities of 100 GB, 200 GB and 400 GB. PX02ANU storage options include 55 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB and 480 GB.

The PX02SMQ/U series is the company’s new enterprise-class SAS MLC SSD. It supports both SANITIZE Cryptographic-Erase and the TCG Enterprise SSC storage security specifications. PX02SMQ/U SSDs will ship in 200 GB, 400 GB, 800 GB and 1.6 TB models.

Lastly, Toshiba also announced its new MQ01ABU line of 2.5-inch, 5,400 RPM SATA hard drives. Aimed at notebooks and desktops that house critical data, the drives also support self-encryption and Cryptographic Erase. MQ01ABU will be available in 250 GB, 320 GB and 500 GB capacities.

Toshiba plans to start PX02AMU and PX03ANU SATA eSSD sample shipments this month. The first PX02SMQ/U SAS SSDs and MQ01ABU SATA HDDs are expected roll off the assembly line during the first quarter.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Internet News, the news service of the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.