RSSEncrypted Seagate Hard Drives Could Enable On-board DRM
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published October 30, 2006, 4:07 PM
Last February, storage provider Seagate announced it would be introducing later in the year new hard drive platforms that can be fully encrypted at the hardware level, rendering their usefulness to would-be thieves almost pointless.
Today, with the absorption of former competitor Maxtor almost complete, Seagate is moving with all speed to deploy its implementation of the Trusted Platform Module, now called DriveTrust, on upcoming Momentus hard drives, including one 2.5" model for notebook computers, and another for DV-R devices.
Along with this arguably compelling new technology, though, will come a component that has been a perennial wellspring of controversy ever since its inception: hard-wired digital rights management, such as the capability to lock down write operations within a DV-R based drive to only those that have been authorized by a certified server.
So Seagate is being very careful today how it positions its announcement of the unveiling of hard drives with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) component for PCs, knowing full well that the capability for one's hard drive to overrule the operating system -- and, with it, the authority of the user or administrator with regard to what files can be written, where, and when -- is not necessarily something consumers automatically view as a "feature."
Key to the success of Seagate's architecture will be the integrity of the chain of communication between the TPM module on the PC -- upon whose existence DriveTrust will depend -- and the TPM on the hard drive (HDD). With the hard disk drive itself being one of the most closed systems in a computer assembly, it becomes relatively easier to secure the chain of communication between the CPU and HDD using hardware-based authentication. This disables any third party or unauthorized device from siphoning off portions of the bit stream, whether using hardware or software.
This kind of copying is a concern to content providers, including movie studios, that have to date been reluctant to throw their support behind any form of digital content recording system, until it can prove itself impenetrable to incursion for the purpose of making surreptitious copies.
Initially, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD had promised to serve as the premiere vehicles for Internet-driven, high-quality digital downloads. But with high-definition media sales much lower than anticipated, even though the first edition of AACS copy protection is available for licensing, blue-laser recording consoles may both become the "Betamax" of their day.
As a result, attention is turning to hard-drive-based devices, where customers could conceivably download high-quality media at their leisure, though their ability to make digital copies on optical disc could be restricted or disabled. Furthermore, downloads could be given "expiration dates" that users wouldn't be able to override.
These policies could be established and maintained by DriveTrust, as Seagate's initial January 2005 demonstration to content providers' technologists showed.
Still, even if content providers were slow to leverage DriveTrust for its inherent DRM capabilities, the technology could still succeed with consumers if it increased the reliability of HDD transactions. With TPMs in both the CPU and the HDD, a new kind of data transfer scheme would be enabled, using what the Trusted Computing Group calls a "root of trust."
Previously, only the interaction between the CPU and RAM could be considered relatively impregnable. But with even Windows or Linux or Mac OS X reliant upon TPMs to provide services, conceivably the entire security architecture of computing could change very radically, to an extent Symantec and McAfee could only imagine.
The whole design behind viruses involves the ability for malicious code to hide in unmonitored locations (perhaps in plain sight) on hard drives, and replicate itself to similar locations elsewhere, these days using networks. With a new, TPM-anchored root-of-trust scheme in place, and with the operating system supporting the TCG stack (as Microsoft's already does), only authenticated transactions could enable data to be written to hard drives.
As a result, a crafty virus would need to either falsify its authentication or defeat the TPMs - which, while not theoretically impossible, is substantially more difficult than the state of affairs today. In any event, operating system-based anti-virus protection would probably need to be reconsidered from the ground up if it is expected to be effective, or even moderately useful, in a computing scheme where the operating system is no longer the principal authority for conducting data transactions in a computer.
BetaNews is scheduled to speak with Seagate Technology regarding DriveTrust, and will provide an extensive update on this topic in coming days.
So much for the whining of folks subsisting on unauthorized stolen content...
For enterprise use this drive presents an additional tool in their quest to safequard sensitive data complimenting software encryption - especially with the rampant number of portable computer thefts.
As far as the whiny users whose goal is to simply steal unauthorized material - opps! I guess you won't be buying Seagate.
In any regards, memory manufacturers aren't dependent on the low-fi MP3 addicts and high school students for their market share. So feel free to stand there and defiantly maintain that "They can't do this unless we let them." Just like MS can't require authenticating software....right.
I can just see it - enterprise buyers prohibited from accessing the Best Buy isles as they are crowded with protesters! If they would only start shopping at Best Buy! ;-)
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|Well you enjoy that hot DRM injection every day in your cubicle. I'll be sharing and caring thanks. :)
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|First thing you are an idiot consumer drives and enterprise drives are not the same product.
Consumer drives are made mostly for storage capacity and low noise while enterprise drives are more geared for speed and reliability.
Most consumer drives are 7200 rpm 1" drives while enterprise drives tend to be 1.5" high 10K and 15K drives with a heavier aluminum case and cover
Also I can think of a half dozen reason off hand why an enterprise operation would not want a security system based on standardized drm esp if it's the same drm used for media.
One it will get cracked the quickest way to crack any encryption scheme is make it the target of pirates.
Two companies really do not like the idea some other cooperate entity .
or worse government entity can just waltz in and access their supposedly safely encrypted data.
One I really would not trust the RIAA or MPAA having access to any part of my system under any circumstance and if you have any semblance of a neo cortex neither will you.
Also any such feature must allways be optional and enabled via a jumper not the bios the P3 PSN showed the weakness in having sucha thing asa bios option in that crackers were able to enable it.
The scum bags who work for the RIAA and MPAA have a history of having no respect for privacy or the law doing what basically amounts to hacking into people's systems and making what was nothing more then a root kit.
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|"only authenticated transactions could enable data to be written to hard drives"
"As a result, a crafty virus would need to either falsify its authentication or defeat the TPMs"
and make it impossible to control or remove without re-formatting, and even then, would formatting remove a well implanted virus?
but besides the inherent future issues, why would a consumer want these new drives?
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|Quote: why would a consumer want these new drives?
Because the much larger market that most if not all have seemed to ignore is the enterprise market driven by security requirements such as necessitated by SOX, HIPAA, ISO17799, etc., and common sense.
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|"consumer" not "enterprise"
two different markets,
i'm not going to drive a semi truck to the grocery store.
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|Two different markets? Really? Ya think???
The reality is that the enterprise market drives the industry. Deal with it. Seagate definately is!
If this feature doesn't supliment your use, ignore it. Fortunately this feature will greatly augment the enterprise market ranging from business people to small businesses to large enterprises. A huge market.
The joke of BN is that so many teenagers, oblivious to the larger economic forces of the market place, seem to think that they control the market.
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|"enterprise market drives the industry"
no, consumers drive the industry.
the enterprise market is only there to maintain the industry.
your thinking is why we're having these issues. do you work for MS?
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|"teenagers, oblivious to the larger economic forces of the market place"
LOL a group doesn't have to know anything about economics to be an economic force. And teenagers are a HUGE force, even little kids are a huge force. Go work in advertising and you would understand that.
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|I find the irony of this to be overwhelmingly sad. They use words like "trust" and "security" as code words for "we'll decide things for you." I think it's time to boycott Seagate and let them know that while movie studios might love the idea, we as computer owners don't. Do you really want your hard drive making decisions about doing things like deleting files or refusing to allow certain files to run? Think about how often IE's information bar has a fit over "suspicious or dangerous activity," things like downloading your schedule from work or your child's lunch menu. IE reported both of these downloads as fishing attempts on my system last week. It's bad enough to have software complaining about things, but having a hard drive that can override the user and the software is absurd. Movie and recording studios assume that everyone is pirating their content and that end to end DRM will stop that. I have used Napster and Rhapsody for 2 years now and have had to reacquire licenses on my music several times because of their DRM technology and its ability to get corrupted over time. Seagate is asking people to allow this on a larger scale with the entire hard drive and its file system. I'm serious about blackballing Seagate. They can't do this unless we let them.
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|GO F**K YOURSELVES YOU DRM AZZHOLES.
So now i'm not going to be able to store my files on a these new HDs because it needs to be in DRM format?
GO F**K YOURSELVES.
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|Quote: GO F**K YOURSELVES.
Such ire, such pathos.
Bend over genius! I think the message is that you they are ready to accomodate you!
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|oh well its easy to get arounf this. go buy the biggest HDD out there now and then you won't have to buy another one again.
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|Actually the first time some important congressman loses all his young male intern pr0n stash because his motherboard fails and it then will think it's stolen, so that some tech can't just put the hard disk into another system and fire it up, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be legislation to outlaw it entered the next week...
I'm surprised the government isn't already stepping up to the plate on this and trying to outlaw it now, because this kind of technology will block government trying to snoop on users after seizing their equipment, right? Or is the only entity that's going to be able to get around this technology is the NSA? What right to privacy do we have?
Hello Big Brother, you're here 22 years late but I guess better late than never!!
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|It's a liberal nonsense scam all the fuss about the "privacy" thing. Terrorists and criminals of any kind are more than happy about all the "privacy" laws and supposed concerns which don't allow them to be blocked properly.
The Democrats, Liberals, socialists '68/noglobal punks keep talking about privacy issues which is just nonsense,they want to help terrorists and criminals, indeed. If you are not among any terrorist group and you are not involved into weapons, drugs, prostitution and so on, you shouldn't be worried at all.
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|I shouldn't be worried at all? Hmm. Maybe if I get into some of the illegal activities you mention, I'll learn how to crack or get around DRM. :P I think the democrats would love to put this technology in place because they could use the centralized control of hard drives to send everyone a "personal message" to vote for Hilary in 2008. :/ They could tell your hard drive to delete your files if you don't vote and set up a picture of Jesse Jackson as your wallpaper. (jk) Seriously though, giving anyone else control over the basic file structure on a hard disk is one step closer to the loss of privacy of average people. Crooks can get around it, and terrorists probably can to. It's the people like me, a homemaker who will have trouble if this trend takes hold. That's why I think it's time to fight it, right now before other drive makers jump on the band wagon.
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|Here you are again. Seems that old dogs can't learn new tricks, they just repeat the same old tired ones over and over again. Did you take a class on how to use logical fallacies in all your arguments?
Even conservatives and so on can be concerned about privacy issues. Lots of people can be concerned about privacy issues. My father is a Republican and I would love for you to tell him that he's a terrorist or a criminal. I'll take pictures as you try valiantly to get back up.
Even business can be concerned about DRM. If a piece of malware manages to hook into the DRM, how can a business get rid of it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...
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|I like the idea of having data on my HDDs encrypted while using the onboard TPM chip as a key. I just fail to see how useful it is when someone steals the entire computer, rather than an indivual component. They've the encrypted data, and the key.
Pull out the BIOS battery, change the BIOS a little so that you can boot from devices other than your HDD.
Make a fancy program to install software onto the TPM protected HDD by utilizing the onboard TPM chip.
Hey presto! Or they could just go at it with a hammer / remove the TPM chip and replace it with a fake fritz chip.
While there are a lot of idiots for Seagate to market to, they should have room on their list of products: something that doesn't have TPM.
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|Bypassing the TPM isn't likely to be as easy as you make out. From what I understand, current HDD encyption found in some laptops is already near-impossible to crack without some very expensive equipment. And cracking open a HDD isn't something just anyone can do - unless their study is a clean room.
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|Even though I find the concept of an encrypted HD interesting from a security stand point.
I refuse use of any tpm that works against me if the drive has some sort of fritz chip I will not use it ever.
First time I have issues copying something to a new HD or over to another computer I will demand my money back and tell people to avoid the product.
Though a fully standardized tpm system will not stop viruses for very long as it eventually become the target of malicious code it's self.
In theory the 2K of eeprom in a TPM module could be used as a hiding place.
Other attacks encrypt the files with a new key and then ransom the user to pay to have his or her files unlocked.
Or just rewrite the TPM module's eeprom about 10,000 times or so and burn it out this sounds like crap the RIAA would do they are scum bags.
In a way this would make their fritz chip a reality so beware.
I definetly would not use the feature under windows with driver support and never ever allow some online media app to access the module under any circumstances by that OS because an unpleasant surprise would only be a matter of time.
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|I cannot wait, for the first virus to write it self on to a TPM protected drive and make itself undeletable.
If they can control who reads from a disk, they can control who writes to it. This is "better" then a virus deleting the partition table.
Or better yet set an 'expiration date' on windows :p
'only authenticated transactions' = Not you.
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|They need to kill the "hd" version of this idea and do it with flash memory devices.
Have a flash memory device that does something similar.
Won't give away my idea, since I plan to make money off it.
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|If this is forced upon us, I just pray there will be a "firmware update" to erase that garbage. I understand that piracy is a big issue, but it isn't my issue--why is it we all HAVE to have all this "protection" running on our PC? At this rate, DRM will require 128MB of RAM by the year 2009--no thanks.
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|gonna be like having a car with a mandatory security system that arms itself as soon as you get out, and self destructs if anyone but the authorized owner tries to drive it. not only that, but would limit who and how many people you drive around with you.
:-p
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|Note to self - Don't buy Seagate hard drives anymore.
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|...with the absorption of former competitor Maxtor almost complete...
And watch out for Maxtor drives too.
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|No, Seagate and Maxtor are (were?) the most reliable disks on the market. Just make sure you never take one of those infected disks. I guess that if nobody buy the crap, they should abort the crappy idea. The first step when I set a dell computer is to remove all the (crappy) useless TPM software already installed.
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|I wasn't claiming Maxtor drives lacked in quality. I'll be the first to swear by them. I've only encountered one flaky Maxtor drive. However, the last Seagate I bought wouldn't come online fast enough after my computer came out of standby, or I hit the reset switch. I ended up turning it into a USB external.
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|One type of hard drive I will never use in my diverse network. Just need a clean, fast and huge capacity drive, not some make-Hollywood-happy feature product.
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|No doubt this is viewed by some to be most attractive. But I dont look forward to the thought of UserX saying there system/laptop has died and can I take there data from it. I personally would much prefer the OS or 3rd party software take care of this type of thing and let the Hard drive manufactures concentrate on Larger/Faster and more reliable products.
Once perfected this could be a good thing, but I see it being a minefield for a good few years/revisions in the future.
I wont buy one.
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|I think it's flawed as a concept.. The era of the magnetic disk is gone anyway. I don't even know why they still invest money in the technology when the future is solid state. Hello!! *KNOCK KNOCK* Wake up Seagate!! Quit living in the 1970's. And there's no way a user is going to choose a drive that locks down their ability to effectly function freely on their own private computer, when other manufacturers will produce hardware without DRM. Don't cave Seagate! Stand up for the little guy.
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|Who says there's going to be a choice? If Joe Bloe buy a device directly from the manufacturer (desktop computer, laptop, DVR, MP3 Player, etc.), who's to say that no matter which brand he buys, there'll be one of those "Drive Trust enabled" (or whatever the latest catchy phrase is that means "DRM'd to Hell") drives inside? If that's all that's available in your country of residence, you're screwed.
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|Magnetic disks are dead ? And since when ?
Switching to flash based devices is not going to happen for the next 15 years or more.
Do you have a clue about how much a 750GB flash drive would cost you ?
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|You're missing a vital point, my friend. For now, this is *not* standard issue. If we don't buy it right now, Seagate will have to back down, and other drive makers will get the message. If we don't fight this now, the situation you describe will happen. For now, I can drive about 10 miles down the road and buy a perfectly normal, high-capacity drive. Raise hell about this with companies like Dell and HP. Send them letters and tell them you won't buy machines with this technology. Buy your computer from companies that don't use drives with this garbage. Or better yet learn to build a PC yourself like I do. Buy your parts individually so you can read the specs on things like this. And tell everyone you know about the issue so they won't buy the new drives either. This new technology can only take hold if people buy into it. Money talks and speaks louder than your words. If Dell and other computer makers feel the pinch, they won't use the new drives. Use your power and make something happen.
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|...the future is solid state.
Not that I disagree, but...you do realize how long there have been people saying that, don't you? Flash technology has come a long way, but until consumers can get flash memory that transfers at the same or a better rate than magnetic hard disks, has as many estimated writes/rewrites, and sells for aroung 30 cents a gigabyte, solid state will continue to be "the future".
A coworker and I were discussing this just the other day, he actually found an ide interface flash drive online. If I recall correctly, it cost about $1400 for 160GB. (It could've been $14k; but I don't wanna overshoot by an order of magnitude when underestimating still gets my point across.) It had a transfer rate of about 15Mb/s. My coworker then benched his top of the line Dell laptop with its 7200RPM Sata drive, at about 45Mb/s sustained with burst speeds much higher. My desktop benched at about 60Mb/s sustained. So for about 18 times the price of a 250GB 3.5" SATA Drive, you can get a 160GB Flash IDE drive that has a limited write/rewrite ability and a transfer rate of 1/4th the speed.
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|This could be dangerous for seagate and drive customers to harddrives produced by Taiwanese and Chinese companes ie white lable drives.
With the drop in seagate's quality over the past few years there really is little difference between a white label drive and a seagate drive.
In some cases I had better luck with the generic drives.
Also I would not stand for any technology that tries and controls how I use my computer the first time I have a problem I will identify the cause and that company will loose my business my friends and families business and my cooperate business and winning back that trust will not be easy.
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