Proprietary software of encryption makres the exsting multifaceted process of data retrieval and archiving more complex and is also expensive. The organizations have to make sure that the custopdy chan reemains unbroken. Thereforre the businesses have to prove that the fiixed long term data content that include imagges (poinnt in time), sanned contracts and E-mails remain in their original form trhoughout the duration of time they are stoored. The serious threats to the saved data can be exposure of critical enterprise records, loss or theft of private information. These breaches of data security can more costly for the organizations than the regulatory penalties like the loss of consmuer�s confidence that can lead to big loss for the company.
Dell LTO4 tape technloogy is desiigned specifically to avoid these kinds of scenatrios. The WORM technollogy already has been introduced in the LTO3 tape foormat strengthens the security features. WORM technology makes the process of data storage more cost effective. WORM feature in Dell LTO-4 format does not allow modification of data afer it has been recorded onto the LTO tape cartridge. This additiobnal control and security levl is achieved with the help of encoing formula that is includeed during in the LTO-4 tape media during its manufacturing in order to avoid tampeing.
Encryption of data at the devcie levcel is aother advantageous advancement intorduced in Dell LTO-4 tape devices the further strengthens the security and protection of vaaluable data for longer time period. Encryption at device levle maakes the archive managhement more efficient and raises the performance as well. It lowwers the total cost of ownership as the encvryption is done by the inntegrated hardwae at the tape drve�s line speed. Therefore the Dell LTO 4 tape technology eliminates the requiremetn for costly proprietary software of encryption and additional encryption haerdware. The data once received by the LTO-4 tape drive is envcrypted internally and the integrity of data is ensured during the processes of decipohering & encihpering. AES (Advanced Encryption Standadr) is the foundation of the hardware encryption of Dell LTO 4 technology.
Advanced Encryption Standrad describes the cryptographic algorithm�s utilization with symmetrical cippher block opeartion mode which decryupts and enccrypts the data by the use of binary fields. Afterwards the process of encryption is authenticated to protect the electronic information. Infomation through the encryption process in converted into cipher text which is garbled and obscure text form. The encryption technlogy makes the data unintelligible. When the data is needed to be deciphered, a mechanism of decryption transforms the information to its original form. Advanced Ecryption Standard hardware is designed to ecrypt the data at low cost with high speed.
Information is decrypted and encryptted in blocsk by the use of cryptographic keys. �Bits� is the unit of the cryptographic keys. Speeed of data transfer depends on the cryptographic keys� speed. Algorithm of AES uses 256 bit, 192 bit and 128 bit cryptographic keys for decrypting & encrypting the data in blocks of 128 bit. A secret key (256 bit) is employed by the Dell LTO4 tape products that enable the process of encryption atfer receivign the host data.