Patent ID: 7277941

Claim:
A method for performing a storage operation in which one or more data streams write data to be stored to a data archive storage device, the method comprising: when a user requests encryption of at least part of the data to be stored in the storage operation, generating an encryption key associated with the at least part of the data to be stored; when a data stream stores the at least part of the data to be stored, encrypting the at least part of the data to be stored with an encryption key to create an encrypted archive data set; storing the encrypted archive data set on the data archive storage device; and storing the encryption key on the data archive storage device, wherein the encryption key is stored in at least one of two user-selectable secure configurations, a first configuration being a scrambled configuration of the encryption key such that the scrambled encryption key is capable of being automatically unscrambled by the system, and a second configuration being an encrypted configuration such that the encrypted encryption key is capable of being decrypted by a password or information received from the user.