Seagate has announced hard drives with built-in encryption and they will start appearing in new notebook computers some time in the next few months. The notebooks will have a special chip that will make it impossible for the notebook to start up for anyone or to read data from the disk without first authenticating they’re an authorized user.

ASI, which manufacturers laptops under its own brand and builds systems for lesser-known PC makers, is expected to put the new technology in its machines within a few months. Other major PC makers are expected to introduce computers with Seagate’s secure hard drives later this year.

Lost or stolen employee laptops have cost businesses and government agencies millions of dollars and hurt their credibility, while putting the sensitive information in the hands of identity thieves and other criminals. Dozens of states require businesses to encrypt computer data.

“I can’t help but think that this kind of hard drive would become a standard issue on corporate laptops,” said Dave Reinsel, a storage industry analyst at market research firm IDC.

I have high hopes for technology like this as long as users of this technology don’t write down their password and keep it with their notebook.

[Seagate's Encrypted Hard Drives on Route]

[tags]Seagate, hard drive, encryption, security[/tags]