why are FDE laptop drives so hard to find?

[stick1977]

I have a client that demands that I destroy the FDE laptop hard disks between users. So, when one employee leaves the company and I have to get their laptop ready for a new hire I have to destroy the hard drive and build out with a new one. Seems like a waste but we haven't been able to talk the business owner out of this practice. So..

Lenovo discontinued their FDE drives and all the suppliers have zero in stock. Problem is they tell me they just have to order from manufacturer, I wait a week or so and they reply that they can't get them anymore.

I've been looking for a couple months now. I can find refurbished ones but nothing new. Just wondering if anyone else has this same problem or if there's an explanation to this phenomenon. I find it hard to believe that software encryption could ever replace hardware encryption.

 

[SAG]

A quick search shows me that the Seagate Momentus line are still to be had.
Odd policy though that they would require physical destruction of the drive between users.

 

[javjim]

Well. they are hard to find because you are destroying all of them!!!!


haha jk.

 

[frenchscottie]

If the drives are Seagate, then maybe you could persuade your customer to using the Security Erase commands, the drive can be cryptographically erased as per Seagate.

See link.
http://forums.seagate.com/t5/Barrac...da/Recovering-Formatting-FDE-Drives/m-p/74619

Mo

 

[techguysolutions]

that is an odd policy. client needs to start trusting in you a little more. I cannot imagine the other asinine things they make you do

 

[James_S]

I would probably trust Truecrypt's encryption more than hardware encryption because it is open-source and can be examined for flaws while with hardware you have to take the manufacturers word for it that it is secure.

Intel was offering refunds to customers who purchased the 520 SSD because it turns out there was a bug in the controller that when AES 256-bit encryption is selected, it would confirm success but actually encrypt using 128-bit.

 

[SAG]

I would probably trust Truecrypt's encryption more than hardware encryption because it is open-source and can be examined for flaws while with hardware you have to take the manufacturers word for it that it is secure.

Intel was offering refunds to customers who purchased the 520 SSD because it turns out there was a bug in the controller that when AES 256-bit encryption is selected, it would confirm success but actually encrypt using 128-bit.

The encryption, yes.
But everything has its flaws.
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/...tlocker-pgp-and-truecrypt-disks-in-real-time/

While TruCrypt is acceptable for HIPAA and Meaningful Use compliance encryption, it's still not enough for some of the Big Boy government contractors I've done work for in the past.

 

[stick1977]

thanks to all

SAG - ok I'll look into Seagate Momentus, hopefully i can find FDE

frenchscottie - if I can get Momentus maybe I can talk them into Security Erase

James S - we tried TrueCrypt before but this client has users all over the country and we had problems with running repair discs when boot issues arised, hardware encryption has proven to be easier to manage than TC with their recovery disks and passwords etc. If I could get my hands on these laptops then TC would be fine but it always ends up being me doing blind repair disc stuff over the phone.

Yes this destroying of HDDs is a different request, I think the client has literature that he gives potential clients saying that he destroys drives so he doesn't want to not follow through. They can afford to do it, now I just need to find these things for sale somewhere haha.