Secure data transfer device

摘要

A data transfer device for transferring data to a removable data storage item, the data transfer device being operable to: a) receive content data to be stored to the removable data storage item; b) encrypt the content data using an encryption key; c) transform the encryption key; d) encrypt the predetermined reference data using the transformed encryption key; and e) store the encrypted content data and the encrypted predetermined reference data to the removable data storage item. In one embodiment the data transfer device is a tape drive and the removable data storage item is a tape cartridge. The predetermined reference data may be a serial number of the tape cartridge or derived therefrom or may be a fixed/constant value. In further embodiments the transform of the encryption key may comprise encrypting the encryption key using the encryption key itself (i.e. self-encrypting the encryption key). The transform of the encryption key may alternatively comprise a logical operation on the encryption key such as exclusive disjunction (XOR) or inversion. The data transfer device may store the encrypted data in LTO or DDS/DAT formats and may use the (Galois) counter mode of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Compression schemes may also be used.