Patent ID: 7783898
Filing Date: 2010-08-24
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for protecting data written from a general purpose host computing system to a removable storage device comprising drive logic and storage medium, said method comprising: transparently generating a unique, non-accessible encryption key within a general purpose host computing system, wherein the unique, non-accessible encryption key is generated from at least one unique, static hardware characteristic of the general purpose host computing system without any seed data being presented to the general purpose host computing system from outside the general purpose host computing system, wherein the encryption key is used in encrypting data flowing between the general purpose host computing system and the removable storage device, such that the resulting encryption is based at least in part on the at least one unique, static hardware characteristic of the general purpose host computing system; automatically encrypting the data using said unique encryption key to produce encrypted data; employing a removable storage device associated with the general purpose host computing system to store said encrypted data without storing said unique encryption key on said removable storage device, said removable storage device comprising drive logic and storage medium, wherein encrypted data stored on the removable device can only be decrypted by the general purpose host computing system establishing the unique, non-accessible encryption key; and wherein said automatically encrypting is transparent to a user application running on said general purpose host computing system, said user application providing said data to be stored from said general purpose host computing system to said storage medium of said removable storage device.