Patent ID: 8429424

Claim:
A method for encrypting files based on security rules, comprising: receiving a request to store a tape file comprising backup data on a tape storage device; maintaining a set of storage rules that are defined by a backup product operable to provide storage management of the up backup data, the set of storage rules identifying selection criteria for determining whether to encrypt the tape file based on at least one storage parameter associated with the storage of the tape file comprising the backup data; maintaining a set of security rules identifying selection criteria for determining whether to encrypt the tape file based on at least one security parameter associated with a security profile associated with the tape file comprising the backup data, wherein the set of security rules are external to the set of storage rules and are defined by a security administrator, wherein the set of security rules identify whether the tape file should be encrypted based on who is allowed to access the file; in response to applying the set of storage rules to the at least one storage parameter associated with the tape file, determining that the tape file should not be encrypted; in response to applying the set of security rules to the at least one security parameter associated with the tape file, determining that the tape file should be encrypted based on a permission setting identifying who is allowed to access the file; in response to applying both the set of storage rules and the set of security rules, encrypting the tape file such that preference is given to the at least one security rule defined by the security administrator over the at least on storage rule defined by the backup product where the set of storage rules identify that the tape file should not be encrypted and the set of security rules identify that the tap file should be encrypted; and storing the tape file on the tape storage device.