Full Disk Encryption (FDE)

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Revision as of 08:34, 3 August 2007 by Fpiat (Talk | contribs) (T61 FDE is seagate based, not pointsec!)
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Full Disk Encryption

Lenovo Full disk encryption is a technology built-into some Seagate's FDE-ready harddisk that Encrypt the whole hard-disk content..

Hint:
This page have been written base on commercial documentation. It should be reviewed based on real life experience

Features

  • Multi platform (Linux, Windows).
  • Protects the whole disk (including FAT partition...)
  • No performance impact.
  • Compatible with TPM
  • AES (the chip which performs AES encryption has been certified by NIST )
  • Wiping the disk (for disposal...) takes just a second.


FDE Hard disk Photo, credits: seagate.com

Using Segate FDE

Using FDE as as easy as setting up the hard disk password (from BIOS). You can choose to have just a user password, or both a user and a master password. You can export the key to an external storage, for password recovery (you need the password !!)

Lost password

Three possibilities :

  • Use the master password to change the user key.
  • Recover the password using the previously exported key.
  • Reset the encryption key (which causes the hard disk to be instantly "wiped", and resets the "hard disk password").

Wipe the disk

Wiping the disk is as easy as reseting the encryption key from the BIOS..

TPM

It should be possible to use TPM (with fingerprint readers...) not tested yet.

Links