Charlottesville, Virginia, 21st August 2012 – Memory and storage specialist Integral has launched Crypto SSD, its first range of solid-state drives (SSDs) to feature military-level, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit hardware encryption. As well as the secure, convenient and low-cost protection of sensitive data, the new drives offer all the benefits of solid-state storage. These include low-power operation, silent running, rapid boot time and, as there are no moving parts, higher reliability and enhanced resistance to shock and vibration.

Protecting sensitive data through encryption is becoming a mandatory requirement for a wide range of organizations as a consequence of both Federal and State legislation requiring the securing of data, particularly medical and financial records. Apart from the significant penalties imposed, the cost of making those affected by such data losses whole again are often many orders of magnitude greater than the penalties themselves. Crypto SSD is a ‘fit and forget’ solution with a low total cost of ownership (TCO) that will allow banks, law firms, educational establishments, healthcare professionals and a variety of other business and governmental bodies (federal, state and local) to meet their data protection obligations.

Developed in the Europe and available in capacities from 32GB to 256GB, the new FIPS 197-validated Crypto SSDs extend Integral’s Crypto brand from its successful range of encrypted USB drives. The high-speed SSDs can be fitted to laptops and desktop PCs in a matter of minutes. As well as quick configuration, Crypto SSD uses full disk encryption (FDE) to offer a higher level of security than software-only encryption. Furthermore, unlike software solutions, all encryption takes place on the drive placing no additional overhead on the processor and, with no requirement for on-going license fees, deliver lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

With Crypto SSD, all of the data on the drive, including the operating system, is 256-bit AES encrypted at system shutdown. The security system is BIOS-independent and a user can only access the disk and initiate Windows® boot-up by entering the correct high-strength 8-16 character alphanumeric password. In the event of a brute force password attack all encrypted data is automatically erased after a pre-set number of failed password attempts. The data and encryption key are securely destroyed and the Crypto SSD is reset. In addition, once encryption has been set, it is not possible to clone the Crypto drive.

Offering a multi-lingual interface that significantly simplifies global deployments, the SSDLock program supplied with Crypto SSD provides an easy-to-use, intuitive interface for system configuration. Using the SSDLock program, the number of failed password attempts that are allowed can be between 6 and 20. Crypto SSD has the option to create both a user password and a master over-ride password. This allows an administrator to unlock the Crypto SSD in the event that the user forgets their password.

Unlike other drives where the disk identifier is factory set by the manufacturer, Crypto SSD, via the SSDLock program, also gives administrators the flexibility to allocate each disk a unique or company-wide identifier. This significantly simplifies the implementation and management of endpoint security solutions in which only certain computers and devices may be allowed on the network, or where administrators want to limit and control certain users’ access to company data and applications.

Barry Webb, Integral’s US President comments: “The reliable protection of data has long been a risk management issue. The cost of having sensitive data fall into the wrongs hands has to be balanced against the cost of implementation and management of the necessary protections to keep the data secure. At Integral, we believe the “fit and forget” of Crypto SSD provides a highly cost effective solution to drive data security. The penalties, together with the recovery cost for even minor data breaches are significant and long lasting, both in terms of actual cost and reputation. These costs vastly out-weigh the implementation and management expense of Crypto SSD. The days of being able to lock a computer away in a drawer in an attempt to secure sensitive data is no longer an adequate defense against liability.”

Crypto SSD provides a simple solution to the problem of unencrypted data with almost no change in user interaction whilst providing the added benefits of a SSD such as greater resistance to physical shock, improved performance and increased battery life.

Developed to be both tamper-proof and rugged, Crypto SSDs feature a design in which all drive electronics are sealed in epoxy resin and then shielded by a metal outer case.

Crypto SSD drives are compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows 7 and are available from stock at Amazon.com and directly from Integral Memory USA. Current prices are $223.34 (32GB), $296.70 (64GB), $403.55 (128GB) and $529.49 (256GB). A two-year warranty is standard for all models.

For more details on Integral Crypto SSD technology click here

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