The IT Nerd

Cigent Technology have announced new secure storage drives to ensure data security for the broadest array of devices of any secure storage provider. 

Cigent’s family of solutions, originally developed for and with U.S. federal agencies, protect against evolving threats that risk data integrity, including both physical attacks, such as cloning and wiping, and remote attacks.  The solutions that Cigent brings to market today address the rampant proliferation of devices at the edge, with insufficient protections to ensure that data is protected.

Today, Cigent expands their portfolio with additional secure storage form factors providing critical data protection for systems operating at the edge, including emerging technologies such as unmanned vehicles. They offer powerful and federally certified protections with full-drive hardware encryption, wiping and cloning prevention, and remote data erasure. New solutions include:

• Secure Storage SSD BGA provides new hardware encryption protection that can be embedded in devices. Meeting automotive, and Air Force temperature requirements of -40° to 105°C for operation in extreme conditions, it offers effective protection for data for unmanned vehicles, IoT, OT, and other edge devices.
• Secure Storage 2230 – provides protection of PCs and tablets. The 2230 drive supports new preferred drive configuration from leading PC manufacturers including  Microsoft Surface, Dell Latitude, and HP EliteBooks. Cigent is the only solution in the market providing NSA CSfC-certified pre-boot authentication (PBA) and full drive hardware encryption for modern PCs. Like the Secure Storage SSD BGA, Secure Storage 2230 meets automotive and Air Force temperature requirements, ensuring the drive can operate in extreme environments.
• Secure Storage SD and MicroSD cards provide hardware-encrypted data protection with small form factors. Supporting Linux and Windows OS and meeting industrial temperature requirements, they provide flexible, robust protection for a variety of systems including PCs, tablets, OT, and unmanned vehicles, ensuring data security mission requirements.  

All solutions can be managed from an enterprise management console streamline administration.  In addition to the full drive encryption, all Cigent Secure Storage solutions have the ability to create hidden partitions to store the most sensitive data and allow remote erasure of data using a combination of crypto and full block wiping.  

Emerging technologies and evolving mission requirements are driving significant expansion of sensitive data at the edge. A growing portfolio of systems are collecting, processing, and storing sensitive data. Cigent provides unparalleled breadth of hardware-encrypted secure storage devices that allow program managers to meet compliance mandates and ensure data remains protected. Protections have been verified by experts including NSA, NIAP, and MITRE, and are in use by many U.S. government organizations requiring the highest level of protection.  

Cigent storage can be configured and administered at scale through a management console and an efficient Command Line Interface (CLI) tool. Cigent and its ecosystem of device, vehicle, and system integrator partners are ready to support procurement, delivery and deployment requirements.  

Cigent Technology today announced the Cigent Endpoint Data Protection Platform that protects data from ransomware, data exfiltration, and data loss. The Endpoint Data Protection Platform provides a comprehensive portfolio of endpoint data offerings.

It is the first known commercial solution that protects Microsoft Windows endpoint device data every time, against every attack, and enables businesses to continue operating even while under attack – with minimal impact to users and minimal administrative demands on IT resources.

The High Price of Insufficient Endpoint Security: Existing commercial endpoint and data security products are repeatedly proven to be ineffective at stopping ransomware, malware, and advanced persistent threats from disabling endpoints. Because of this, fully 68% to 70% of data loss incidents occur at the endpoint.

Cyberattacks will increase aggressively – in their frequency, their ability to penetrate traditional defenses, and their sophistication – with the imminent widespread adoption of AI by attackers. Attack volumes, sophistication, and precise targeting will escalate rapidly.

The outcome is broadly expected to result in more successful endpoint compromise attacks.

Recent ITIC research on the hourly costs of downtime found that costs now exceed $300,000 /hr for 91% of SME and large enterprises. Fully 44% of mid-sized and large enterprise survey participants reported that a single hour of downtime can cost their business as much as $1 million.

Cigent delivers:

• Zero Trust Access Control: Verified, policy-driven step-up access control protects files from unauthorized access. Utilizing AI and integration with major authentication solutions, it protects data with minimal end-user impact.
• Hidden Data Drives: Attackers cannot see or even locate protected drives even when a deception is compromised. Data remains hidden at the sector level until unlocked with step-up authentication.
• AI Threat Defense: AI monitoring instantly elevates the threat level when ransomware or other malware attempts to access data. Additionally, integration and automation with EDR solutions elevates protection if threats are detected or if they are rendered inoperable by attackers.
• “Set and Forget” Operations: Protection is in place and automated, requiring no direct intervention or administration by security or IT resources.
• Data Protection for Modern Workforce: Minimal impact of end-user experience and sustained device usability during an attack event.

The Cigent Endpoint Data Protection Platform At Work

Cigent begins with the assumption that the PC is going to be compromised. While there continue to be advances in the detect and respond approach, it remains insufficient to prevent data compromises.

Cigent provides layered defense that protects data at rest or when in use. We use software, hardware, or dual encryption as foundational data at rest protection. Customers using SSDs are able to provide additional protection with hidden partitions that are invisible to attackers. When a device is in use we maintain data protection with zero-trust access controls that prevent unauthorized access with minimal user disruption. In addition, we integrate with EDR and SIEM solutions instantly elevating protections based on their status. Finally, Cigent leverages its own AI to detect malicious data activity and instantly secure files. This layered approach proactively protects data.

Importantly – Cigent is the first solution that actively preserves user productivity and device efficiency whenever an attack is in process or has occurred.

In field tests with a current and pernicious attack, file access was immediately locked and the user’s ability to continue work was protected. No immediate IT intervention occurred or was needed.

Also Introducing – Cigent BitLocker Manager: Cigent is also delivering BitLocker Manager, another new capability in the Cigent Data Defense Platform that protects full disk encryption environments currently using “tired” technology and facing end-of-life resource issues.

Additional Resources:

Cigent Endpoint Data Protection Platform – Demo: https://www.cigent.com/thinkshield-data-defense-cigent