Cyber secure NAND flash memory
Flexxon’s X-PHY® is the world’s first NAND flash memory solution with integrated, AI-based firmware and hardware security.
It is the ideal data storage solution in safety-critical industries such as healthcare, banking and automotive, where security and reliability are mission critical and where the confidentiality and integrity of data is paramount.
CYBER SECURE NAND FLASH MEMORY SSD — THE FLEXXON X-PHY®
Flexxon’s X-PHY® is the world’s first NAND flash memory storage solution with integrated, AI-based firmware and hardware security. It is the ideal data storage solution in safety-critical industries such as healthcare, banking and automotive, where security and reliability are mission critical and where the confidentiality and integrity of data is paramount.
Unlike other SSDs, which rely on software defence and hardware encryption, effective only when data is at rest, the X-PHY® offers AI in low-level programming, real-time security monitoring, physical protection and a firmware digital signature to check the authenticity and integrity of stored data.
These security features are designed to complement a software defence and provide full security of the stored data against cyberattacks as well as physical threats. Real-time security monitoring, controls incoming and outgoing data streams to ensure 24/7 threat surveillance, while hardware sensors monitor the device to prevent physical attacks.
When the threat level is elevated, the drive locks down. As a last line of defence, with its embedded AI One Core™ Quantum Engine, the X-PHY® can immediately identify these threats and completely shut down access to data.
High level security functions include:
- Data encryption
- Secure erase
- Write protection
This makes the X-PHY® a perfect all-in-one security product for data transfer and data storage.
THE BENEFITS OF AI-BASED, CYBER SECURE NAND FLASH MEMORY
How NAND flash memory works
Cyberattacks are on the rise, putting valuable data at risk. In the UK alone, four in ten businesses and a quarter of charities reported cyber security breaches in the last 12 months, according to recent Government data. In Germany, the most recent Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) report highlighted a significant increase in the number of cyberattacks, with twice as many attacks in 2021 than in 2015.
In particular, cybersecurity experts worldwide are registering a concerning increase in the amount of successful ransomware attacks, where data is encrypted preventing users from accessing it unless they pay a ransom. In this case, criminals often threaten to spread sensitive data if the victims refuse to pay, adding blackmail to extortion. The consequences for companies can be disastrous, ranging from hefty legal fines to irreparable reputational damage.
The increased popularity of HDD and SSD can open up an attack surface to cyber criminals, and, in light of the frequency and perniciousness of recent cyberattacks, software-level cyber security strategies are no longer enough, meaning a more comprehensive strategy is required.
The embedded X-PHY® AI module offers continual vigilance to detect anomalies in data access patterns, identifying cyberthreats at a binary level and acting accordingly to the level of danger. These smart capabilities protect data against all sorts of software-based malware, ransomware and viruses, both known and unknown.
Protection is not based on the system’s knowledge of every potential threat, but the ability to recognise suspicious and unusual patterns in data access. This means that its efficacy will not decrease with the rapid evolution of cyberthreats — the X-PHY® is built to offer protection throughout the entire lifetime of your operating system.
PROTECTION FROM PHYSICAL THREATS
According to Flexxon, about 21 per cent of data breaches are caused by lost or stolen devices or internal data theft. No software-based solution offers protection against these events, which is why it’s crucial to add an extra layer of embedded protection.
The sophisticated defence features of the X-PHY® offer protection against threats at the hardware level, including physical attacks, shocks and high levels of vibration. Embedded sensors continuously monitor temperature and power disconnection to ensure the device’s functionality is not compromised. If a rapid change in temperature is detected, the drive will be locked and will require unlocking by an authorised user, either via the mobile X-PHY® Connect app or with an authentication app such as Google Authenticator. While this might not prevent theft or physical destruction, the drive will not surrender any of the data stored to its attackers.
As well as protecting the device from physical attacks, these characteristics make it ideal for use in harsh industrial environments where traditional data storage solutions might be unsuitable.
Watch this video to learn more on how the X-PHY® protects your data from all malicious attacks, from cyberthreats both known and unknown, to physical attacks.
DO YOU NEED TO SECURE ERASE YOUR SSD?
When erasing data from an SSD, information is not terminally deleted but simply overwritten. This means that space is created to store new information, but the deleted data is still present on the SSD and can be easily recovered. This presents a very concerning security problem for industries where confidentiality is critical.
With older spinning hard drives, applying a strong magnet — also called degaussing — could effectively delete data. However, this doesn’t work for SSDs, where traditional solutions for secure date erasure are physically destroying SSDs, encrypting data, or relying on a third-party software or company to wipe the devices.
However, these solutions are impractical, expensive, and require the data owner to trust a third-party service provider with the sensitive task of handling and destroying private, confidential or classified information.
The X-PHY® has a built-in secure erase function that ensures that data is completely removed and cannot be recovered, protecting companies against the danger of data leakage and theft. This function, which is unique to Flexxon’s products, is ideally suited to safety-critical environments — such as military applications — where a quick and effective data wipe might become necessary.
The data purge function is selectable on the drive’s set up and can be selected or unselected at anytime by the user on the control software. The user can opt for a rapid purge that includes encryption key purge or data purge. If the key is erased, data can no longer be accessed but remains on the drive. If the data is physically purged, it cannot be retrieved ever again.
These functions can be found in the X-PHY®’s control software but require authorisation via password. If both “physical” and “wipe data” functions are enabled and the device experiences disconnection, the data encryption/decryption key will be erased in nanoseconds and when powering on again, all data will be purged. In this way, the SSDs can be securely erased with a click, meaning there is no need to rely on external services.
TRUSTED BY THE BEST: LENOVO’S CYBER SECURED LAPTOPS
For an all-encompassing, real-time defence strategy against ever-evolving cyberthreats, Lenovo has incorporated the X-PHY® into three of its laptop series to create the world’s most secure laptops. Thanks to the X-PHY®’s AI capabilities, Lenovo’s Ace, CyberPad and Zepto laptops will now be monitored 24/7 for potential threats and will lock down immediately when a suspicious pattern is detected.
After a lock down, users can simply unlock the device with a dynamic 2-factor authentication through the X-PHY® User Application Tool or the X-PHY® App. This is easy to do and requires no prior knowledge of cybersecurity, combining extreme safety with unprecedented user-friendliness.
Lenovo’s decision to use the X-PHY® to create the world’s most secure laptops testifies to the SSD’s reliability and to Flexxon’s commitment to a holistic approach to security.
Do you want the same level of security for your IT system? Click here to request a free consultation with one of Nexus Industrial Memory’s secure storage and data experts.
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