Encryption

SME uses strong, IEEE-compliant AES 256 encryption algorithms to protect data at rest. Advanced Cisco MDS 9000 SAN-OS and NX-OS software security features, such as Secure Shell (SSH), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), RADIUS, and Fibre Channel Security Protocol (FC-SP) provide the foundation for the secure architecture.

SME uses the NIST-approved random number standard to generate the keys for encryption.

Encryption and compression services are transparent to the hosts and storage devices.

Encryption Algorithms

The IEEE-approved standard for encryption of disk drives is IEEE 1619—Standard Architecture for Encrypted Shared Storage Media (1619.1 for tape drives). It specifies the XTS encryption mode commonly used for disk encryption. The IEEE Security in Storage Working Group (SISWG) was investigating the possibility of submitting the XTS mode to NIST for consideration as an Approved Mode of Operation for FIPS 140-2 certification. It uses a narrow-block encryption algorithm, and the standardization process for a wide-block algorithm is currently in progress as 1619.2. Other encryption algorithms for consideration are LRW-AES and AES-CBS. Draft versions of the IEEE 1619 standard had used LRW-AES, which was later replaced by XTS-AES.