
Notably transparent to the user, except for initial bootup authentication.Easier to setup (compared to software-based encryption).

Crucially, because the existing data encryption key is not regenerated, setting a passphrase allows for the drive to be locked while preserving existing encrypted data on the disk, avoiding the need for the drive to be re-encrypted. The user will then be prompted for their passphrase when decrypting the data encryption key in the future. If a user wishes to "enable" encryption at a later stage, they are able to configure an authentication key (such as a passphrase) which encrypts the existing data encryption key. These self-encrypting drives can be thought of as having a zero-length password by default that always transparently encrypts the data (similar to how passwordless SSH keys can provide somewhat secure access without user intervention). Manufacturers do this to make it easier for users who do not wish to enable the security features of the self-encrypting drive. In fact, in drives featuring full-disk encryption, data is always encrypted with the data encryption key when stored to disk, even if there is no password set (e.g. This approach allows the user to change or revoke these keys as required without needing to re-encrypt the data, as the master 2nd-level encryption key is unchanged (itself being re-encrypted by the new passphrase). Using LUKS, the user can have multiple different keys (passphrases or keyfiles) to decrypt the master-key, which in turn decrypts the underlying data.
Sandisk secure access password factory full#

It would be useful to name the important acronyms (e.g. The sedutil refers to them in the FAQ and command syntax. Reason: The Opal standards are full of acronyms.
