the last week, announced Seagate, that you develop with IBM a Software, in order to combat the spread of counterfeit disks. You rely on IBM’s Blockchain (based on Hyper Ledger Fabric).
Leopold Bosankic
15. November 2018 share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn xing mail
Seagate, according to information from the world’s leading provider of data storage solutions, is working with IBM on a block chain-based Software for Hardware supply chains. Thus, Seagate intends to track the hard disks in order to make the fakes better. For this purpose, Seagate created an electronic identity (e-ID) of the disk. This e-ID will be stored on IBM’s Blockchain. As a result, the owner can check whether the hard drives are Seagate. In addition, the Software can delete with a cryptography-based method hard drives. This so-called Certified Erase erases hard disk and stores the evidence that the disks have been deleted in the Blockchain. According to Seagate, this is an important evidence in the context of data protection laws. So, companies can ensure that you have deleted your hard drive as required by the laws.
the market for fake disks, small
Currently, only IBM and Seagate use the Software. The companies expect partners to come in. It’s just the question is, why? The exact extent of which represent Hardware counterfeiting is difficult to assess. Seagate cites to 1.77 trillion US dollars. The number of can argue. Seagate refers to a forecast for 2015, based on an estimate from 2011. In this estimate, the analysts from 1.22 to 1.77 trillion US dollars. Furthermore, it is in these details but not only hard disks-counterfeiting, but counterfeiting of physical and digital products in General. In addition, it is unclear whether hard drive fakes ever come to fruition. Because Seagate’s sales in 2018 amounted to only a fraction of 1.22 to 1.77 trillion U.S. dollars; about 11 billion US dollars.
Other areas of use
nevertheless, could be Seagate’s solution for their customers. In addition to the privacy aspect of sure deleted hard drives can be more easily resold. Both the seller and the buyer have the assurance, that on the hard drive, no critical data is located (in addition to personal data, for example, viruses). The shredding of hard drives could be obsolete. Moreover, it is not clear whether Seagate would like to use the Software for other products except hard disk drives. In the press release in this regard are vague.