Data Security in a Fast-Moving, Mobile World
Subodh K. Kulkarni, Chief Technology Officer, Imation

The need for securing information at every stage, including data at rest, is becoming critical. Every breach of information creates a challenge for organizations involved - from embarrassments to liabilities, and at the end of the day, serious financial exposures. In this talk, we will discuss the needs for security, the impact on organizations, and different forms of portable media that are used to store information and how they can be made more secure to prevent information breaches. Different forms of removable storage media - USB Flash drives, External/Removable HDDs, Laptops, Tablets, Smartphones, Magnetic Tape and Optical Disc, - and the pros and cons of each - will be discussed along with ways to make these media types more secure.

 

Data Center World's Recent Q & A with Subodh K. Kulkarni, Chief Technology Officer, Imation: Keeping Removable Storage Secure

The need to protect data has never been as crucial as it is today. With cyber thieves a 24/7 threat--in the data center offsite--there's so much information to protect and secure. When using removable storage media, the level of vulnerability is even higher. However, Data Center World's Keynote
Speaker Subodh K. Kulkarn has three tried-and-true ways to make removable media storage secure: The trio of ways addresses physical security, encryption and authentication.

What are 3 ways to make removable storage media more secure?

1. Physical security: Very often the most easily ignored improvement in security of removable media is physical security. Many approaches are being taken to improve physical security of removable media. From basic approaches of keeping the media in secure locations where the key is available only to the needed, to rendering the media useless if it physically leaves a desired location by enabling access to media memory only on desired host systems, physical security remains extremely important.

2. Encryption: Software encryption approaches like AES 256-bit encryption are relatively easy to implement on removable media and can be quite effective in improving security. Hardware encryption is generally regarded as more secure, but does involve additional costs of specialized processor chips. Encryption key management is critical in making sure the encryption value is maintained. After all, what good is encryption, if the decryption key is available on the removable media itself and is not well protected?

3. Authentication: From simple passwords to time synchronized passwords to authenticate the user identity, to biometric scans and retinal scans, it is critical that proper authentication scheme be used to ensure removable media security.

 

Subodh K. Kulkarni, Chief Technology Officer, Imation

Dr. Subodh Kulkarni began his technical career with IBM in 1989 as a research engineer responsible for the development of semiconductors and new processes in integrated circuit fabrication. By 1996 he became Imation's manager of the Advanced Technology Center before moving to the data storage organization in 1998 to lead the Magnetic Media Development Center and was appointed to Executive Director, Media Product and Technology Development in September 2004.