Patent ID: 8745409

Claim:
A data storage device comprising: a storage medium comprising: an unsecure user data area to store unsecure user data and a secure user data area to store secure user data, wherein upon handshaking between the data storage device and a host device, the unsecure user data area becomes accessible to the host device; and a processor in communication with the storage medium, the processor configured to: receive a host identifier and a file from a host device, the file previously sent from the data storage device in a prior mounting to the host device to enable the data storage device to recognize the host device, wherein the file comprises a record, the record includes a unique identifier portion which represents a unique identifier of a host device encrypted by a trusted key of the data storage device, decrypt the unique identifier portion of the record using the trusted key, determine whether the decrypted unique identifier portion matches the host identifier received from the host device, in response to determining that the decrypted unique identifier portion matches the host identifier received from the host device, determine that the host device is a trusted host device, in response to determining that the host device is a trusted host device, allow automatic access of the host device to said secure user data on the storage medium, in response to determining that the host device is not a trusted host device: deny automatic access, but cause entry of a user password for access to said secure user data, determine whether the user password matches at least one password stored on the data storage device, and in response to determining that the user password matches the at least one password, allow access by the host device to said secure user data on the storage medium.