Patent ID: 8645716

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting a power event of a media drive, the media drive securely storing encrypted data, the encrypted data decryptable using one or more plain-text keys stored in a one-time-programmable (OTP) memory of the media drive; activating, responsive to the detection of the power event of the media drive, a periodic counter, the periodic counter configured to cause, responsive to reaching a predetermined value that corresponds with a particular amount of time, the one or more plain-text keys stored in the OTP memory to be overwritten effective to zeroize the one or more plain-text keys; and deactivating, responsive to an indication that the media drive is secure and before the predetermined value is reached, the periodic counter to prevent the one or more plain-text keys stored in the OTP memory from being zeroized effective to enable access to the one or more plain-text keys for decrypting the encrypted data after the particular amount of time has elapsed.