Self-encrypting disk drives for desktop and laptop computers

Mobile Armor announced the general availability of DriveArmor 3.0, a solution for access control and managing security on laptop and desktop computers with 2.5-inch self-encrypting disk drives from Seagate.

DriveArmor offers pre-boot authentication (PBA) capability to enforce policy-driven access control as soon as the self-encrypting Momentus drive powers up, preventing unauthorized users at pre-boot from logging into the computer. Seagate’s self-encrypting drive protects the data by fully encrypting it. The drive also makes it easy to repurpose and retire computers and hard drives without the risk of exposing sensitive information by performing a cryptographic erase of the encryption keys, rendering the data unreadable.

DriveArmor provides centralized management from a single management console, a single management server and a single management agent, allowing IT professionals to manage security policies, enforce compliance and produce management reports across multiple hardware configurations and operating systems.

DriveArmor is sold and can be configured in two modes; as a standalone solution for deployments in smaller organizations and as a centrally managed enterprise solution. The centrally managed version of DriveArmor is built on Mobile Armor’s Enterprise Policy Management Server which includes the following features:

• Scalable and easy to deploy – Enables large-scale deployments and live, operational rapid deployment capabilities that lower total cost of ownership.
• Centralized administration and key management – Administrators manage all users and devices through a single management infrastructure using Microsoft’s Management Console.
• Extensive auditing and reporting – Provides audit trail, compliance and system metric reports to management that help define and facilitate regulatory requirements.
• Easy to repurpose or retire hard drives – Fast resets and the ability to cryptographically erase everything from the hard drive and return the hard drive to the original factory settings by sending a “device wipe” message.
• Simplified password management – Offers several password reset choices for users to change passwords securely without administrator intervention.
• Enhanced security – Offers pre-boot authentication that prevents unauthorized data access and security measures that detect and protect stolen devices.
• Service Oriented Architecture (SOAP/XML) – Features active directory integration, administrator hierarchy and no schema changes.