Encrypted Hard Drives

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Encrypted Hard Drives come in two basic versions; software encrypted hard drives and hardware encrypted hard drives. The most appropriate for your use depends upon your security needs and budget.

Software encryption operates like most computer programs in that the CPU and memory of your system do the heavy lifting. An application intercepts read/write calls to the encrypted area on the hard drive and performs the data encryption/decryption. Data on the hard drive always remains encrypted, so even with an improper drive removal, the data cannot be accessed without knowing the password key to the encryption.

These devices contain on-board encryption/decryption chips that are automatically called whenever the user reads or writes data to the disk. When the drive is first mounted (connected), a password or phrase is required to authenticate the user which allows disk access. Removal of the device, such as in a USB connected external drive, forces the need to re-authenticate upon a new connection. Data on the hard drive is always in an encrypted state, with the onboard chips translating data as it enters or leaves the drive.

Most corporate environments that have a central management console would use hardware encrypted drives. Small offices or security conscious individuals would be well served using the software encrypted drives.