Hi Dave, Security ID serves two functions:
1) It is the default password of the Black Armor. Like the way a user needs the old password to change to a new password, the Security ID serves as the old password. 2) The Security ID is also needed when the Black Armor hard drive needs to be cryptographically erased (because the user wants to, or because the user forgot the password). After the erase, the default password again becomes the Security ID. One of the decision point of developing Black Armor was, what to do when the user forgets the password. Should the drive become totally useless? The arguement for making it into a "brick" if the password is not known is that is reduces the "steal value" of the device. For the Black Armor, if the password is not known, it can be reused. But first the data needs to be wipeout. Scott On Tue, 11 Nov 2008, Dave Jevans wrote: > > I just setup a Seagate/Maxtor Black Armor hardware encrypted drive. > > When you setup the device, and before you choose your password, you > have to enter in a 25 character "Security ID" which looks like a > software license key, and is printed on the back of the drive's case. > > Why would you have to do this? Since it's printed on the outside of > the case, why doesn't the device already know this serial number > internally, and why would it care? > > Initially my skeptical mind figured this is actually the AES key, or > a back-door encryption key. > > But with more thought, I figured that perhaps it's because the device > is manufactured in China, and it's a clone prevention technique? > Maybe the sticker is added to the device when they are packaged in > the US, and the security ID number is needed to activate the > encryption? This prevents a Chinese factory from creating clone > devices using their controller? > > Anyone from Seagate on this list that can comment? > > _______________________________________________ > FDE mailing list > FDE@www.xml-dev.com > http://www.xml-dev.com/mailman/listinfo/fde > _______________________________________________ FDE mailing list FDE@www.xml-dev.com http://www.xml-dev.com/mailman/listinfo/fde
