OSX Mavericks hardware data encryption

Question

OSX Mavericks hardware data encryption

I just installed a Crucial M500 SSD (960gb) that supports hardware data encryption. Does OSX Mavericks support hardware data encryption for the main hard drive? Crucial calls this a "self-encrypting drive" (SED). The drive and controller follow the TCG Opal 2.0 specifications and IEEE-1667 access authentication protocols. What I don't know is whether OSX supports this type of drive. Anyone know the answer? If OSX Mavericks supports SED drives, how does one set it up. The plus side to this hardware encryption is that it is pre-boot and more secure than software encryption. It also is supposed to negate the performance issues of using software encryption methods. As far my reading has found, is Microsoft's OS 8 supports hardware data encryption, but nothing about Mac OSX. I saw a mention that OSX was supposed to be available.

Thanks, Dennis

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), 16 gb 2.2ghz quad core I7 SSD M500

Posted on Jan 1, 2014 10:07 PM

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Answer 1

Nair.S

Level 1

0 points

Feb 2, 2014 3:12 PM in response to Community User

I tried setting up filevault to see this was painfully slow. The ideal would be for filevault to make use of SED. Waiting to see an answer to this.

Here is a link to a description:

http://forums.crucial.com/t5/Solid-State-Drives-SSD-Knowledge/The-Advantages-of- Hardware-Encryption/ta-p/129700

According to this only windows is supported.

http://forums.crucial.com/t5/Solid-State-Drives-SSD-Knowledge/An-introduction-to -the-encryption-features-of-the-M500/ta-p/128272

Accroding to comment in this link: "not aware of a software tool for Mac that supports SED feature"

It will be nice, if filevault (system pref / security privilages / filevault) makes used of SED for SED equiped drives like the Crucial M500.

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Answer 2

Feb 2, 2014 5:35 PM in response to Nair.S

Here's another link from Crucial regarding the apparant lack of a software program solution to use the M500's SED feature.

http://forums.crucial.com/t5/Solid-State-Drives-SSD-Knowledge/An-introduction-to -the-encryption-features-of-the-M500/ta-p/128272

It is really unfortunate that Apple doesn't support this feature. With identity theft issues all around us, having a encrypted drive and data is a necessary feature these days. I'm always aware of these issues with financial software and data on my computer.

Please Apple, find a way to offer this type of service, using a SED drive, in the near future.

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