GRiD Defence Systems has developed its own ruggedised and removable configuration of Viasat’s new Data At Rest Cryptography (DARC) drive, giving GRiDCASE laptop and tablet users significant flexibility in how they store and protect sensitive data at rest, including at Top Secret level.
Approved by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the DARC drive’s predecessor – known as the Viasat Eclypt data at rest encryption drive – has been the industry standard for users wanting to protect data and information at the most stringent security levels in the UK, including Secret and Top Secret level.
However, Eclypt is now reaching the end of its life or End of Life (EOL) and is being replaced by the new DARC solid-state drive (SSD), also from Viasat, which introduces new interfaces and standards.
Unlike the Eclypt, which uses 2.5” SATA, DARC leverages the smaller and more efficient M.2 form factor, which has several benefits including its smaller size. As well as M.2, DARC also uses the NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) protocol, which is specifically designed for SSDs and enables higher data transfer speeds.
The UK’s NCSC has approved the new-generation DARC drive to secure sensitive data at rest at various security levels.
A potential challenge, however, for the M.2 DARC is that it plugs directly into a motherboard using an M.2 slot which uses the PCIe bus, and separating the sensitive data on the drive from the computer itself – in case of repairs or transporting the computer from secure facilities – requires dismantling by an expert technician.
GRiD has developed an innovative solution to help customers overcome this challenge, which will provide GRiDCASE users a quick and easy way to remove the DARC drive when required, without the need to open up the computer.
The interface challenge
There are a number of challenges with the introduction of the new drive. It is not a direct replacement because the interface it uses is M.2 as opposed to the SATA that the legacy Eclypt incorporates, and the communication protocol (NVMe) is also different.
SATA is a legacy computer bus interface used to connect hard drives and other SSDs (such as Eclypt), whereas M.2 is a rectangular, internally-mounted small form factor expansion standard, which requires an M.2 slot.
Many customers would prefer a removable drive, but DARC is not inherently removable as it plugs directly into a motherboard, which is an advantage in some ways and a negative in others. M.2 connectors are designed to be installed once and not removed, which poses a challenge for customers who want to remove their drive.
The Eclypt Drive is also housed within a 2.5” SSD, which is inherently more robust than the M.2 open frame PCB format of the DARC Drive. Nevertheless, M.2 is the future of SSDs and GRiD is supporting customers with the introduction of the new DARC drive, giving them the flexibility to have a removable drive that meets stringent security requirements when needed.
GRiD’s solution
GRiD has developed a ruggedised removeable version of the DARC drive. This unique solution sees the DARC drive housed in a robust metal caddy that can be easily installed and removed from a GRiDCASE computer – just like an external storage device – depending on the user’s security needs.
GRiD’s UK-based engineers have developed this caddy solution so that customers can plug and unplug the drive multiple times, which would not be possible using the standard interface alone as these are designed to be plugged in once and left alone.
The enclosure features a specialised design that leverages rugged interfaces that are designed for multiple plug/unplug cycles, while at the same time not degrading the performance of the DARC drive and protecting the original interfaces.
As well as the removeable option, GRiD can also offer the DARC drive solution as a fixed internal drive if required.
The GRiDCASE 1590 with the DARC drive – either removeable or fixed – available now. The changes are minimal and not noticeable to the user.
GRiD’s DARC drive-enabled computers still meet the strict ruggedisation standards including environmental and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), which GRiD is world-renowned for. 
Eclypt vs. DARC
The Viasat Eclypt has been an industry-standard data at rest encryption drive for Secret and Top Secret level (depending on model number) security applications for many years, but it will soon be unavailable as the technology becomes obsolete and difficult to continue supporting.
Read more: Encrypted storage for rugged computers – what to choose?
The general move away from SATA storage devices towards M.2 in the commercial computer market has driven demand in the specialist computer space as well. With these trends in mind, Viasat’s new DARC drive, which is NCSC-approved, has been brought to the market and continues to allow users to protect sensitive and classified data at rest, particularly on commercial-off-the-shelf computers.
DARC features military-grade AES-256 hardware encryption as well as a tamper-evident design and mandatory two-factor authentication.
It is rolling out as we speak, and demand is expected to increase as the Eclypt drive becomes obsolete and reaches EOL. GRiD is supporting its customers through this transition.
Drop an email to sales@griduk.com if you want to learn more.
