3 ms·

How do you "nuke" the key? It may still be on the drive (or other drives, or magnetic tape backups).

ac29 3y ago
If I can store drive encryption keys on a HSM in my old, consumer grade laptop, I would hope that large storage systems have at least the same degree of protection.
- deepsun 3y ago
  But if that HSM module or machine suddenly dies, the system would lose all the customer's files. Not good.
  - awesomeMilou 3y ago
    If I understand it correctly, the HSM on the HDD dying is about as likely as a HDD PCB failure. Of course in these scenarios you can't just swap the PCB's to recover the data, but in an Enterprise setting you would have mitigated this anyways, by using a form of redundant storage. If you rely on just one drive for your data's continued existence, you're doomed anyways. [0] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Self-encrypting_drives https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Self-encrypting_drives
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - Damogran6 3y ago
    That's when you fall back to your backup processes....you HAVE backup processes, don't you? (They're resilient against ransomware, aren't they?)
    - deepsun 3y ago
      But parent said to "nuke" the encryption key. :shrug:
      - Damogran6 3y ago
        I'm the parent. Take the key that decrypts the disk...overwite/dealloc/zero/forget the key...the disk is ready for it's next mission.
Damogran6 3y ago
I'm going to trust the storage manufacturers when they offer a secure erase function that it whole disk encrypts, and secure erase removed the decrypt keys everywhere they exist. It's a conversation you have when you establish the vendor, and they're the ones that own the risk (fiancial, reputational, etc) if it turns out the key is stored in plain text on ring 0, sector 0, disk 0 and someone talks about it at Defcon. The point is: I'm tired of 'well what if?'...that comes up EVERY time there's a question about data destruction....'we should shred it "just to be sure"' is stupid.

ac29 3y ago

If I can store drive encryption keys on a HSM in my old, consumer grade laptop, I would hope that large storage systems have at least the same degree of protection.

deepsun 3y ago
But if that HSM module or machine suddenly dies, the system would lose all the customer's files. Not good.
- awesomeMilou 3y ago
  If I understand it correctly, the HSM on the HDD dying is about as likely as a HDD PCB failure. Of course in these scenarios you can't just swap the PCB's to recover the data, but in an Enterprise setting you would have mitigated this anyways, by using a form of redundant storage. If you rely on just one drive for your data's continued existence, you're doomed anyways. [0] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Self-encrypting_drives https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Self-encrypting_drives
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- Damogran6 3y ago
  That's when you fall back to your backup processes....you HAVE backup processes, don't you? (They're resilient against ransomware, aren't they?)
  - deepsun 3y ago
    But parent said to "nuke" the encryption key. :shrug:
    - Damogran6 3y ago
      I'm the parent. Take the key that decrypts the disk...overwite/dealloc/zero/forget the key...the disk is ready for it's next mission.

Damogran6 3y ago

I'm going to trust the storage manufacturers when they offer a secure erase function that it whole disk encrypts, and secure erase removed the decrypt keys everywhere they exist. It's a conversation you have when you establish the vendor, and they're the ones that own the risk (fiancial, reputational, etc) if it turns out the key is stored in plain text on ring 0, sector 0, disk 0 and someone talks about it at Defcon. The point is: I'm tired of 'well what if?'...that comes up EVERY time there's a question about data destruction....'we should shred it "just to be sure"' is stupid.