What is Full-Disk Encryption (FDE) and What are Self-Encrypting Drives (SED)?

Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)

Do existing DSPM and CSPM tools address the challenges of data encryption risks?What is Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)? What is Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)? What are the key features of Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)? How important is Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)? How does Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) differ from traditional security measures? What are the benefits of implementing Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for an organization? How does Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) help identify and remediate security vulnerabilities? What compliance standards does Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) help organizations adhere to?What emerging trends are shaping the future of Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)?How cloud Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) overcomes the challenges of securing keys? What are the Differences Between DSPM and CSPM?What Are Some Common Challenges Associated with Implementing DSPM?What are Some Best Practices for Optimizing DSPM Within an Organization?How Does Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) Work?

AI Security

What is an AI/ML pipeline? What are the components of the AI/ML pipeline?How can I ensure data security and safety in an AI/ML pipeline? What are Large Language Models (LLMs)? How do Large Language Models (LLMs) work?What are the benefits of Large Language Models (LLMs)?What is the data security risks with Large Language Models (LLMs)?How do I address data security concerns with Large Language Models (LLMs)? Is Generative AI (Genai) different than Large Language Models (LLMs)?What is Generative AI (Gen AI) security? What is Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)? What is Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAGs) used for?What are the benefits of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)?Are there security risks with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)? How can we address Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG security) vulnerabilities?What are key AI security challenges and risks? What is data poisoning? How do I prevent data poison attack? What is prompt engineering?What is a prompt injection attack? What is AI governance? Why is AI governance important? What is Large Language Models (LLM) security?

Post Quantum Cryptography

What is the quantum risk and its impact on data security?What are the implications of data sensitivity vs time?When will quantum computing pose a threat to encryption methods?Which protocols and certificates may become vulnerable in the post-quantum era?How can enterprises prepare data security strategies for the post-quantum era?Do current cloud platforms support post-quantum algorithms?What is the concept of cryptographic agility?How does cryptographic agility impact risk management for enterprises?Why is data classification important in the context of post-quantum readiness?How does crypto agility affect disaster recovery planning and insurance costs?What is the technical impact of post-quantum agility on organizations?How does Fortanix DSM help achieve cryptographic agility?What features does Fortanix DSM offer for key lifecycle management in PQC implementation?How does Fortanix DSM facilitate integration with leading applications in PQC implementation?

Tokenization

What is Tokenization?Why should I care about Tokenization? What are the various methods of tokenization? What is the advantage of Tokenization over Traditional Static or Dynamic Data Masking? What is the advantage of Tokenization over Database encryption? What is the optimal point in the data lifecycle to tokenize sensitive data?  What is Card Tokenization?How does card tokenization work?How does tokenization make online payments more secure?What is network tokenization?What is PCI DSS 4.0?How to comply with PCI DSS 4.0?When is PCI DSS 4.0 required?How Many New Controls are in PCI DSS 4.0?How many requirements in PCI DSS 4.0?What is FPE (Format Preserving Encryption)?Where is Format Preserving Encryption used? Why use FPE (Format Preserving Encryption)? Is FPE (Format Preserving Encryption) reversible?Can FPE (Format Preserving Encryption) help with HIPAA compliance?Can FPE help with PCI DSS compliance?What is the difference between vaulted and vaultless encryption in the context of Format Preserving Encryption? What type of FPE (Format Preserving Encryption) does Fortanix use

Enterprise Key Management

What is enterprise key management?Why is enterprise key management important?What are the benefits of using Enterprise Key Management for cloud data security?What are the challenges in enterprise key management?How does enterprise key management work?What are some best practices for enterprise key management?Can enterprise key management be integrated with existing systems?What are the compliance considerations for enterprise key management?Can enterprise key management recover encrypted data if a key is lost?How does enterprise key management address cloud and multi-cloud environments?Are there industry standards for enterprise key management?What are the pain points related to data security in hybrid multicloud environments ?How do encryption and key management contribute to data protection? How does Fortanix address the challenges associated with encryption key management?How does Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) provide visibility into data security risks and industry benchmarks? How does Fortanix address the challenge of reporting compliance with policies and regulations?How does Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) align with regulatory and data security policies and standards? How does Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) simplify the complex and time-consuming task of correlating and analyzing at-risk data and services? How does Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) help organizations prioritize and remediate the most harmful risks quickly? Why are manual discovery processes considered complex and time-consuming, and how does Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) simplify them? How does Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) reduce the inefficient use of security personnel?Can Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) integrate with existing security and compliance tools? Does Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) integrate with SIEM or SOAR solutions for log analytics? Can Fortanix Enterprise Key Posture Management (EKPM) integrate with third-party IT ticketing systems for remediation workflows?

What is Full-Disk Encryption (FDE) and What are Self-Encrypting Drives (SED)?

Full-Disk Encryption (FDE) is a security mechanism that encrypts all data on a disk drive, including the operating system, applications, and user data. This ensures that all data stored on the disk is inaccessible without proper authentication, usually in the form of a password or encryption key.  

How Full-Disk Encryption (FDE) Works in Cybersecurity

Full-Disk Encryption (FDE) security employs algorithms to encrypt every bit of data stored on a disk. This process includes all system files, user documents, applications, and even the free space on the drive. When a device with FDE is powered on, the user must authenticate through a password, PIN, or encryption key before the operating system can boot.  

Once the user successfully authenticates, the encrypted data is decrypted in real time. This means the encryption and decryption processes occur in the background as data is read from or written to the drive. This transparent operation means users experience minimal performance impact during normal device usage. 

FDE is used to secure portable devices, such as laptops, desktop computers, and removable storage drives, which are more susceptible to theft or loss. By encrypting all the data stored on these devices, FDE ensures that unauthorized individuals cannot access the sensitive information contained within, even if the physical device falls into the wrong hands.  

Here are some key points about FDE: 

  • Encryption Coverage: Encrypts the entire disk, ensuring that no part of the data remains exposed. 
  • Protection at Rest: Provides security for data when the device is powered off or in hibernation mode. 
  • Transparent Operation: Often operates transparently to users, with minimal impact on system performance. 
  • Authentication: Requires user authentication before the operating system boots, adding an extra layer of security. 

What is Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) in Cybersecurity

Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) are storage devices that automatically encrypt all data written to the drive and decrypt it when read, using hardware-based encryption mechanisms. 

How Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) Work 

Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) are a type of hard drive with built-in encryption and decryption capabilities. Unlike traditional software-based encryption methods, where encryption is managed by a software on the host device, the encryption process in SEDs is handled directly by the drive's hardware. This hardware-based encryption eliminates the reliance on software, which can be vulnerable to malware or other attacks. 

When data is written to an SED, the built-in cryptographic processor automatically encrypts the information. Conversely, when data is read from the drive, it is decrypted in real-time, ensuring the process is transparent to the user. This makes SEDs convenient, as there is no need for manual encryption or decryption steps. The performance impact is minimal since all these operations occur within the drive itself. 

Because the encryption keys are stored within the drive, they are significantly harder to access or tamper with. This also facilitates quick data sanitization. For instance, when the drive needs to be securely erased, simply deleting the encryption keys will render all data on the drive unreadable, obviating the need to overwrite every sector.  

Here are some key points about SED: 

  • Hardware-Based Encryption: Conducts encryption and decryption using dedicated hardware, which typically results in better performance compared to software-based encryption. 
  • Automatic Operation: Encrypts data automatically without requiring any action from the user. 
  • Enhanced Security: The encryption keys are often stored within the drive itself, making them harder to access or tamper with. 
  • Quick Erase: Allows for rapid data sanitization by simply deleting the encryption keys, rendering all data on the drive unreadable without the need to overwrite every sector. 

Learn more about:

Runtime Encryption® Platform

Encryption as a service

Database Encryption: Simplified Key Management Across Global Databases

Tokenization Solutions

Tokenization Platform

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