Patent ID: 7434069
Filing Date: 2008-10-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. Method for encryption (enciphering, scrambling) /decryption (deciphering, descrambling) of a data stream transferred to or from a mass storage media, wherein the data stream comprises a plurality of data items, each respective data item has a unique associated physical address comprised in the data stream that defines the location on the mass storage media the respective associated data item can be stored or retrieved from, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a division of the mass storage media into a plurality of segments, each respective segment comprising consecutively physically addressable readable/writable storage locations, wherein each respective segment is bounded by lower physical address and an upper physical address of the mass storage media, each of the respective lower physical addresses and the upper physical addresses is part of each of the respective segments; associating a plurality of encryption/decryption algorithms with each respective segment of the plurality of segments dividing the mass storage media, wherein a same one of the plurality of the encryption/decryption algorithms can be associated with different ones of the segments; associating a plurality of encryption/decryption keys with each respective segment of the plurality of segments dividing the mass storage media; when the data stream streams towards the mass storage media, when the data stream streams from the mass storage media, using the identified segment to select the associated decryption algorithm, and the corresponding associated decryption key, to decrypt the data item before transferring the data item form the mass storage device.