RSA Shows How To Trust Your Digital Storage

Protecting sensitive personal and business data is a big concern, with all the reports of hacking and identity theft. The RSA Conference focuses on digital security trends, threats and products. The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) was an important participant in the 2016 RSA Conference with a half-day session and exhibits. The TCG is focused on all aspects of security in computer-based systems. As shown by a presentation from the ESG cybersecurity is a major concern of corporations.

TCG has a special focus on security for industrial and consumer Internet of Things (IoT). There were several talks and exhibits on technologies that can secure automobiles and other connected consumer devices from malicious hacking. One of the bigger activities of the TCG has been in securing the places where data is stored or “at rest.”

The base of storage security in the TCG is the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). It is a special microprocessor, built into a host storage device that stores keys, passwords and digital certificates. This allows the TCG to do authentication, integrity checks of systems connected to the TPM and cryptographic capabilities that create a unique digital fingerprint for the storage device. The TPM is also a secure repository for certificates, keys and passwords. There are over 2 billion TPMs worldwide embedded in PCs, servers, networking gear and other devices. The TPM 2.0 library specification is geared to bring security across many devices in an IoT environment. A storage device built with a TPM can encrypt its own content and is thus called a Self Encrypting Drive (SED).

The Drive Trust Alliance (DTA) was exhibiting at the TCG event at the RSA Conference. The DTA is focused on getting consumers and other clients to use SEDs. All SSDs and almost all HDDs have SED encryption capability built into the drive but very few of these drives have the security turned on and used by the customers to protect their data. The DTA is seeking to get more people to use the built in security of SEDs to protect themselves from malicious hackers. The DTA also offers open source software for SED management.

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