(I've also posted this question, slightly differently worded, as a reply to another relevant discussion: /message/174081# 174081 http://communities.intel.com/message/174081# 174081 )
I'm putting together a blog post on vxlabs.com listing drives that do and don't do usable AES encryption, that is encryption where the AES keys are themselves also encrypted with a user password.
All of the Intel documentation on the 520 (AES tech brief; the manual; etc.) vaguely states that the security is based on the AES encryption together with the ATA password, but I have not been able to find any official documentation confirming or denying the following details:
- Is the ATA password used to encrypt the AES keys?
- Is the ATA password itself stored as an irreversible hash?
I know that both of these have been confirmed for the 320, but I'd like to see explicit proof for the 520 as well. It's a new drive with a new controller, so it's not guaranteed that Intel has followed exactly the same path as with the 320. Once again: I'm looking for proof, either in official Intel documentation, or by an Intel representative, or by drive firmware hacking.r
