IBM Encrypts The Key to Privacy

In a world where data loss and security breaches of private data seem to be
an everyday occurrence, the need for data security cannot be overstated.

The key to data security, according to IBM, is all about the key itself.

IBM today officially announced new encryption technology and services that
claim to provide “end-to-end” protection of customer data stored on IBM tape
drives.

A key part of the solution is the IBM System Storage TS1120 tape
drive, which IBM claims, “is the first encryption drive in the market that
addresses the requirements of that legislation and the needs of businesses
to protect sensitive information that they store on their customers.”

The new IBM solution also integrates with IBM Tivoli storage manager and
the Java platform around key management.

In an afternoon conference
call to discuss the news, Andy Monshaw, general manager of IBM System Storage,
explained why the TS1120 tape-drive-based solution is different from its
predecessors.

“There are a number of encryption methodologies today — host-based, software-based and appliance-based,” Monshaw said. “All of them have serious
performance or security issues.”

So the solution, he said, is in the key.

“The key itself is actually encrypted on each tape cartridge so you don’t have
to figure out where the keys are,” Monshaw explained.

“Imagine that you
manage an apartment complex with 100,000 apartments which you visit once
every five or 10 years and you decide to store the keys in your clothes drawer.
That is not a manageable process.

“What this does is it tapes the key right to the door and with public key
encryption, you can un-encrypt it very very systematically,” Monshaw added.

“There is a lot of sophistication that addresses the gaps in the other
solution in the market today.