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Introduction
The need for data security emerges from the widespread deployment of shared file
systems, greater mobility of computers and the rapid miniaturization of storage devices.
It is increasingly obvious that the value of data is much more than the value of
the underlying devices. The theft of a personal laptop or a USB thumbdrive leaves
the victim vulnerable to the risk of identify theft in addition to the loss of personal
or financial data and intellectual property. Several recent incidents of data theft emphasize
the need for a cohesive solution to the problem of storage security. Hence,
it is fast becoming necessary to protect stored data from unauthorized access using
strong cryptographic methods.
1.1 Motivation for Data Security
An enterprise-ready data protection system is vital in military organizations where
classified and secret data need to be shared and secured simultaneously. Recent news
reports of security breaches and data thefts from India’s military and intelligence
agencies [2] accentuate the critical need for a cryptographic solution to this problem.
According to reports relating to one case, important information was leaked through
stolen USB thumbdrives. Another case purportedly involved a computer administrator
who was able to pass secret data illegitimately to a foreign country. The fact that
both these cases involved insiders motivates the need for a secure data protection
mechanism that thwarts theft attempts and ensures that undue power is not left in
the hands of individual employees or administrators.
Data protection systems are increasingly playing a crucial role in commercial
environments too. A recent study conducted by Symantec Corporation [18] surveyed
laptop users across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to estimate the value of the
commercially sensitive contents of their laptops. The study estimated the average
worth of a single laptop to be about a million dollars.
Clearly, there is a pressing need to design and develop secure and usable data
protection mechanisms that cater to the above application scenarios. Encrypting file
systems fill this void to enable individuals and organizations to keep their storage
systems highly available and protected from unauthorized access at the same time.