StrongDisk Server protects sensitive data stored on a server. It is the easiest way to provide the strongest possible protection against criminals or competitor espionage. StrongDisk Server is indispensable when it comes to protecting sensitive data that is to be used by multiple users simultaneously.

• How It Works
• Sharing Encrypted Data
• Encryption Keys Inaccessibility To Users
• Backup
• Additional Features

How It Works

Sensitive data is stored on protected disks, which are mounted on the server and work as normal local disks. When this data is not used, i.e. protected disks are not mounted, the contents of each protected disk appears as a separate encrypted file.

To mount the disk a password and an external key are required. A password and an external key are required to decrypt the data, and not just to be verified. Without the appropriate password and external key, nobody can read the data even if he has physical access to it.

After the disk is mounted any data can be written to or read from it. Encryption and decryption is performed "on-the-fly" without storing the data in non-encrypted form. Protected disks can be accessed by any applications including database management systems such as MS-SQL or Oracle.

Sharing Encrypted Data

Unless the whole protected disk or any folder on it is shared in the network, no one can access the encrypted data except users (usually only administrator) who have physical access to the server.

To give multiple users the ability to work with sensitive data, the protected disk or folders on it can be shared using standard Windows NT/2000 facilities. The permissions on accessing such shared resources are also set using standard Windows NT/2000 security. To get access to the shared resources on the server remote users enter a password (if it was set by the administrator). This password serves only for authorization, not for encryption/decryption. Each user (or group of users) is granted permissions to read, write, modify, and delete files and folders on shared resources. No additional software is required on remote user's side. A remote user may not even know that all information he works with is encrypted on the server.

Encryption Keys Inaccessibility To Users

A remote user works only with data, which is encrypted/decrypted on the server, not on user workstation. Therefore, all keys used for encryption are located only inside the server. In no instance may a remote user without administrative privileges gain access to those keys, even if he has full-access privileges to the sensitive data on shared resources.

For example, if a top manager who had full access to sensitive data leaves the company then he should only be excluded from the list of users registered on the server. There is no risk that he will have the ability to read the sensitive data in the future. Changing the main password and external key used for encryption is not required. The only risk is that he could have copied all information accessible to him when he still had a user account.

Backup

It is clear that backup copies of any important information must be made as often as possible. When StrongDisk Server is used to protect the data, then the process of backup copying is very simple. Protected disk image files can be easily copied to CD-ROMs or tape while the data still stays encrypted.

Additional Features

StrongDisk Server provides the following extra features, in addition to those offered in StrongDisk Pro

• Sharing parameters are automatically restored on mounting protected disk
• Protected disks can stay mounted when local user logs off
• DBMS or any other applications or services can be started automatically on protected disk mounting

StrongDisk Server