Hitachi and Phoenix Technologies Team to Deliver Remote Data Protection on Laptops

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) and Phoenix Technologies Ltd., today announced a collaboration to provide next-generation mobile PC security on notebooks equipped with Hitachi hard drives. New laptops with Hitachi hard drives and Phoenix FailSafe theft-deterrence service, will allow the PC owner to track, remotely disable and securely erase the disk drive. As a result, vital data stored on the laptop remains safe and protected. With this partnership, the FailSafe agent can be installed on an encrypted Hitachi hard drive. In the event of laptop theft, if the FailSafe agent is removed by the perpetrator, the authorized owner will be able to remotely re-install the FailSafe agent in the compromised system and take further steps to ensure integrity of the data on the laptop.

"Increasingly, leading notebook PC manufacturers depend on Hitachi to gain a competitive advantage through our hard drives, which include 128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) technology to protect consumers' valuable and sensitive information," said Masaru Masuda, Director of Product Planning, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "All of our 2007 and 2008 models of 2.5-inch mobile hard drives can be enabled at the factory to utilize powerful AES-128 encryption engine, which is part of the drive electronics SOC (System-on-Chip). In addition to providing data at rest protection by on the fly data encryption, simple deletion of the 128-bit encryption key enables cryptographically secure erase of the drive. By incorporating Phoenix FailSafe technology with our mobile hard drives, OEMs can deliver advanced security to prevent data loss and theft. The ability to remotely and securely erase or disable disk drives on mobile PCs offers the next-generation protection our customers need to stand apart from competitors."

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, more than 200 million records containing sensitive personal information -- such as credit cards and social security numbers -- have been exposed through security breaches in the U.S. over the past three years.(1) Research from the Ponemon Institute has found that laptop theft and loss accounts for 45 percent of data breaches.

"While laptops and notebooks continue to grow in popularity, there is a clear need to provide advanced protection to secure the sensitive files and data stored on them," said Surendra Arora, Vice President of Business Development at Phoenix Technologies. "By partnering with laptop drive manufacturers such as Hitachi, we can help prevent data theft and associated crimes like identity theft by extending FailSafe protection to laptops which contain sensitive personal and professional information. With Phoenix FailSafe protection, PC owners can remotely protect, encrypt and securely erase the vital content stored on their hard drives. FailSafe location-based technology also allows the owner to locate and recover lost or stolen laptops, or even remotely disable the unit if necessary to prevent potential misuse."

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies develops advanced hard disk drives to store and preserve the world's valued data. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, Hitachi GST enables users to fully engage in the digital lifestyle by providing high-value, high-capacity storage in formats suitable for the office, in the home or on the road. With vertically integrated research, design and manufacturing capabilities, Hitachi GST delivers leadership technology and quality to its global customer base.

With approximately 33,000 employees worldwide, Hitachi GST offers a comprehensive range of hard drive products for desktop computers, high-performance storage systems and servers, notebooks and consumer devices.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 384,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2006 (ended March 31, 2007) consolidated revenues totaled 10,247 billion yen ($86.8 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services.

Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTEC) is the global market leader in system firmware that provides the most secure foundation for today's computing environments. The PC industry's top builders and specifiers trust Phoenix to pioneer open standards and deliver innovative solutions that will help them differentiate their systems, reduce time-to-market and increase their revenues. The Company's flagship products, AwardCore, SecureCore, FailSafe and HyperSpace, are revolutionizing the PC user experience by delivering unprecedented security, reliability and ease-of-use. The Company established industry leadership with its original BIOS product in 1983, has 155 technology patents and 139 pending applications, and has shipped in over one billion systems. Phoenix is headquartered in Milpitas, California with offices worldwide.

Source: Hitachi