Scrambling an address and encrypting write data for storing in a storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9397834-B2
Application number	US-201013876441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2010
Priority date	Oct 5, 2010
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

An address to access a location in a storage device ( 106, 204 ) is received, and the address is scrambled. Write data is encrypted using an encryption key. The encrypted write data is stored in the storage device at a location of the storage device specified by the scrambled address.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a control system, a storage access command including a command field that selectively enables address scrambling for a storage location;
receiving, by the control system, address bits that define an address used to access the storage location in a storage device;
scrambling, by the control system, the address bits that define the address used to access the storage location for which address scrambling is selectively enabled by the command field;
encrypting, using an encryption key, write data, wherein the encryption key comprises a combination of a first key and address information, where the address information is based on one or a combination of: at least a portion of the received address bits, at least a portion of the scrambled address bits, or at least a portion of virtual address information, wherein scrambling the address bits is based on using a key selected from among the first key and a second key different from the first key; and
providing, by the control system, the encrypted write data to store in the storage device at a location of the storage device specified by the scrambled address bits.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location in the storage device specified by the address bits prior to the scrambling is different from the location in the storage device specified by the scrambled address bits.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the first key and the address information comprises an exclusive-or of the first key and the address information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage device has plural regions, and wherein different encryption keys are used to encrypt data stored in the respective plural regions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage device has plural regions, the method further comprising applying different levels of encryption to the respective plural regions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage device has plural regions, the method further comprising applying different address scramblings for the respective plural regions.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reading encrypted read data from the storage device; and
decrypting the encrypted read data using the encryption key.

8. A system comprising:
at least one storage device; and
a control subsystem to:
receive a storage access command including a command field that selectively enables address scrambling for a storage location;
scramble addresses for accessing different storage regions of the at least one storage device to form respective scrambled addresses, the different storage regions including the storage location for which address scrambling has been selectively enabled by the command field;
encrypt, using different encryptions, corresponding plural write data segments, wherein the different encryptions are based on use of corresponding different encryption keys, wherein at least one of the encryption keys is a mixture of a data key and a first scrambled address of the scrambled addresses, wherein the first scrambled address is formed from one of: switching around address bits of a respective address; hashing the address bits; and mapping, using a table, the address bits to the first scrambled address; and
provide the encrypted write data segments to store in the respective storage regions specified by the respective scrambled addresses.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the different encryptions are based on use of corresponding different encryption techniques.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the different storage regions comprise: (1) different storage regions of one storage device, or (2) different storage regions of different storage devices.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the different storage regions are to store respective different types of data.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control subsystem is configured to communicate at least one of address information, control information, and data information wirelessly to the storage device.

13. A storage device controller for a storage device, comprising:
an address scrambler to, in response to a storage access command including a command field specifying that address scrambling is selectively enabled for a storage location in the storage device, scramble address bits of an address used to access the storage location in the storage device, the scrambling of the address bits based on a first key;
a key mixer to form an encryption key by combining the first key with address information, where the address information is based on at least a portion of the scrambled address bits; and
an encryption module to encrypt write data using the encryption key, and to provide the encrypted write data to store in the storage device at a location of the storage device specified by the scrambled address bits.

14. The storage device controller of claim 13 , wherein the storage location in the storage device specified by the address bits prior to scrambling is different from the location in the storage device specified by the scrambled address bits.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein scrambling the address bits based on using the key selected from among the first key and the second key comprises mixing the address bits with the key selected from among the first key and the second key.

16. The storage device controller of claim 13 , wherein the scrambling of the address bits based on the first key comprises mixing the address bits with the first key.

Assignees

• Walrath Craig A
• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Walrath Craig A

Classifications

• G06F12/1408

  by using cryptography (for digital transmission H04L9/00) · CPC title

• G06F21/72 Primary

  in cryptographic circuits · CPC title

• G06F21/78

  to assure secure storage of data (address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00) · CPC title

• H04L9/0861

  Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords · CPC title

• G06F21/80

  in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors (preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00) · CPC title