Patent ID: 7849330

Claim:
A computerized system comprising: a. a plurality of storage volumes operable to store data, the stored data being associated with an expiration date; b. a storage controller operatively coupled with the storage volumes, the storage controller comprising a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory unit, the memory unit storing information on the expiration date of the data stored in the storage volumes and an encryption key, wherein the storage controller is operable to: i. initiate the encryption of the data stored in one of the plurality storage volume using the stored encryption key to obtain encrypted data, the encryption is being initiated by the storage controller prior to the data expiration date; and ii. write the encrypted data to an address where the data was stored in said one of the plurality of storage volumes; and iii. dispose of the encryption key after the expiration date, wherein in response to a read command, said encrypted data is decrypted by using said encryption key, wherein said encryption is performed repetitively and the encrypted data is written over the same address, wherein the storage controller is operable to allow access to the storage volumes from a host during the encryption operation; wherein the memory unit is operable to store, for each of the plurality of logical storage volumes, an associated encryption algorithm which is used by the storage controller in encrypting the data stored in that logical storage volume.