MANAGING SECURITY OPERATING MODES

• US 20110307709A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Forehand, Monty A., Cox, Jason R., Demattio, Christopher J., Danielson, Michael B., Hatfield, James C., Offenberg, Manuel A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00

Abstract

A storage device that supports Trusted Computer Group (TCG) security allows management of TCG security features by a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) using non-TCG security commands supported by the BIOS. In one implementation, a BIOS that does not support TCG security but does support ATA security can use ATA drive unlock to invoke TCG drive unlock on the storage device. Further, the storage device can be transitioned among multiple security operating modes (e.g., Undeclared, ATA security or TCG security).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

managing security of a storage device that is provisioned using a first security protocol via security management of a second security protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first security protocol provides security through disc encryption and the second security protocol does not provide security through disc encryption.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first security protocol provides Trusted Computing Group (TCG) security and the second security protocol provides AT Attachment (ATA) security.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the managing operation comprises:

overwriting a TCG default Security ID (SID) password with an ATA security password, responsive to receipt of an ATA security enable command.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the managing operation further comprises:

restoring the TCG default SID password, responsive to receipt of an ATA security disable command.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the managing operation comprises:

passing a TCG SID password for unlocking one or more portions of a storage medium locked using an ATA drive unlock command.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the managing operation further comprises:

checking the TCG password passed with the ATA drive unlock commands against one or more TCG passwords, each TCG associated with one or more portions of a storage medium associated with the storage device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the managing operation further comprises:

unlocking at least one portion of the storage medium if the TCG password with the ATA drive unlock command matches a TCG password of the at least one portion.

9. A storage device configured to:

manage security of a storage device that is provisioned using a first security protocol via security management of a second security protocol.

10. The storage device of claim 9 wherein the first security protocol provides security through disc encryption and the second security protocol does not provide security through disc encryption.

11. The storage device of claim 9 wherein the first security protocol provides Trusted Computing Group (TCG) security and the second security protocol provides AT Attachment (ATA) security.

12. The storage device of claim 9 wherein the managing operation comprises:

overwriting a TCG default Security ID (SID) password with an ATA security password, responsive to receipt of an ATA security enable command.

13. The storage device of claim 12 wherein the managing operation further comprises:

restoring the TCG default SID password, responsive to receipt of an ATA security disable command.

14. The storage device of claim 9 wherein the managing operation comprises:

passing a TCG password for unlocking one or more portions of a storage medium locked using an ATA drive unlock command.

15. A storage device configured to:

support two or more storage security protocols using defined transitions between different security operating modes that determine which storage security protocol is managing security for the security device.

16. The storage device of claim 15 wherein a first storage security protocol provides security through disc encryption and a second storage security protocol does not provide security through disc encryption.

17. The storage device of claim 15 wherein a first storage security protocol provides Trusted Computing Group (TCG) security and the second storage security protocol provides AT Attachment (ATA) security.

18. The storage device of claim 15 comprising logic configured to overwrite a TCG default Security ID (SID) password with an ATA security password, responsive to receipt of an ATA security enable command and to restore the TCG default SID password, responsive to receipt of an ATA security disable command.

19. The storage device of claim 15 comprising logic configured to pass a TCG password for unlocking one or more portions of a storage medium locked using an ATA drive unlock command.

20. The storage device of claim 19 wherein the logic is further configured to check the TCG password passed with the ATA drive unlock commands against one or more TCG passwords, each TCG password associated with one or more portions of a storage medium associated with the storage device and to unlock at least one portion of the storage medium if the TCG password with the ATA drive unlock command matches a TCG password of the at least one portion.