CipherChain and CipherChain-e

Have you been looking for a simple and affordable solution to add bullet proof security to your system or your data storage equipment? The Addonics family of CipherChain is the answer. Designed using the same field proven Addonics Diamond Cipher and Ruby Cipher AES 256-bit crypto engine (NIST & CSE certified), the Addonics CipherChain or CipherChain-e is a small encryption module, size of a Compact Flash, that can be easily installed into any computing equipment. Practically any Desktop PC, Servers, Rack Mounted systems, Kiosk or external storage system can be secured with the CipherChain.

The standard CipherChain comes with two internal SATA ports to encrypt any internal SATA device. The CipherChain-e, a model that comes equipped with eSATA port to connect to external storage device, can be use to secure the data stored in any external storage devices with the same AES 256-bit encryption.

CipherChain (to encrypt any internal SATA storage device)

CipherChain-e (to encrypt any external eSATA storage device)

Simple to use
Similar to all other Addonics encryption products, the CipherChain or CipherChain-e is a pure hardware solution. This means that there is no software to run, no driver to install and no password to remember. There is very little user training required to use the CipherChain. All the user needs to do is to insert the correct Cipher key before powering on the system or the storage device. The family of CipherChain can be operated under any operating system and this makes the CipherChain or the CipherChain-e an ideal security solution for organization with heterogeneous computing environment and legacy systems.

Easy to install
The CipherChain family of product is a simple pass through device that works with any SATA I/II hard drive, SSD (Solid State Drive) or storage device with SATA interface. The SATA hard drive to be encrypted is first connected to the device side of the CipherChain and the host side (blue SATA connector) of the CipherChain in turn connects to the SATA port on the system board or a SATA controller. For CipherChain-e. the device side is equipped with a eSATA port to encrypt any eSATA storage device.

CipherChain (for encypting internal SATA storage)	CipherChain-e (for encrypting external eSATA storage)
Click on the images above for enlarged illustrations

Both the CipherChain and CipherChain-e are a small module that can easily fit into practically any computer or storage equipment. Addonics provides a wide choice of mounting brackets to install the CipherChain and the CipherChain-e into various systems via a 3.5" drive bay, a 5.25" drive bay, a slim CD drive bay, a PCI slot or the SCSI-I (Centronic 50) punch out commonly found on many external drive enclosures. There is also dual CipherChain bracket to install up to two CipherChains to encrypt as many as two storage devices in one bracket. Since each CipherChain works independently, you may install as many CipherChains as needed for the number of storage devices that you wish to secure in your system. Depending on your security control strategy, you may use Cipher keys with the same or different key code for each CipherChain.

Suggested implementation for different types of equipment

	Desktop 3.5" Drive Bay	slim CD bay in Rackmount or SFF PC	PCI Slot on any computer	SCSI -1 punch out on back of External Storage System
CipherChain	CipherChain on 3.5" drive bay bracket choice of bracket for single CipherChain or Dual CipherChain	CipherChain on Slim CD bay bracket choice of bracket for single CipherChain or Dual CipherChain	CipherChain on PCI bracket	CipherChain on SCSI - 1 (Centronics 50-pin) bracket choice of bracket for single CipherChain or Dual CipherChain
CipherChain-e	CipherChain-e on 3.5" drive bay bracket choice of bracket for single CipherChain-e ; or a combination of both CipherChain and a CipherChain-e		CipherChain-e on PCI bracket for installation into PCI slot
Click on the images above for enlarged illustrations

Security
CipherChain and CipherChain-e are a full disk encryption solution. This means that the boot sector, partition table and all the information in the drive are encrypted. When the main drive (boot drive) of a system is connected to the CipherChain, the system will be disabled without the Cipher key. Storage device protected by the CipherChain will become inaccessible without the Cipher key. If the CipherChain encrypted drive is stolen and is connected to another system, the drive will appear as a brand new drive with no trace of any data.

The AES 256-bit encryption provided by the CipherChain and CipherChain-e is considered as the highest level of encryption standard, secure enough to protect classified information designated as “Top Secret”. You can raise the security level to increasingly complex level by simply daisy chaining two or more CipherChains. There is no theoretical limit as to the number of CipherChain that can be linked together in this fashion. For practical purpose, it is impossible to penetrate even the encryption of a single CipherChain. The daisy chaining of two or more CipherChains will raise the security to another level when each Cipher key is controlled by different person.

Daisychain example with multiple CipherChains

Daisychain example with one CipherChain-e and multiple CipherChains

Performance
The CipherChain or CipherChain-e encrypts and decrypts data on the fly using a NIST & CSE certified cryptographic AES engine. Unlike software encryption product which depends on the system CPU to encrypt and decrypt the data, the CipherChain product has no impact to CPU utilization.. This leaves the system CPU to perform all its computing task at normal speed. There is also no measurable impact to the performance on the hard drive. So there is no noticeable performance difference between a system equipped with or without the CipherChain.

Cipher key
The AES 256-bit Cipher key used for the encryption/decryption in the CipherChain is the same Cipher key as used in the Addonics Diamond Cipher drive kit and Ruby Cipher drive kit. As a result, you can share the same encryption key to operate on the storage device that has been encrypted by either the CipherChain, Diamond Cipher or Ruby Cipher drive kit. You may also order Cipher keys with the same key codes when you order multiple CipherChain kits or Cipher keys. You may also re-programmed the Cipher keys to other codes using the optional key management system or sending the keys to Addonics for the re-programming service at no charge.

• Installing CipherChain inside a system to secure boot drive, internal hard drive or removable hard drive
• Installing CipherChain-e inside a system to encrypt external hard drive, SSD or external storage system
• Installing CipherChain inside Addonics Storage Tower and Storage Rack for securing the RAID or individual drive

Product features

• Great for the following applications:
  • Secure a system from unauthorized access
  • Prevent sensitive data from unauthorized access when the storage device is lost or stolen
  • Shipping or transporting storage devices containing sensitive data.
  • Encrypt an entire RAID volume or a specific storage device within a RAID volume
• Support encrypting the following storage devices:
  • SATA I/II hard drive or SSD
  • RAID storage created by Port Multiplier
  • Removable drive storage system - Addonics Drive Cartridge Systems with SATA connection
  • Compact Flash media using Addonics SATA-CF hard disk adapter
  • IDE drives with Addonics IDE - SATA converter.
• AES 256-bit encryption - the highest level of encryption standard
• Full disk encryption. No traceable data when the encrypted drive is connected to any system.
• Simple to use - no software to run or any password to remember
• No training required. Encryption / Decryption via a hardware key  , just like using a regular key to open a door.
• Size of a Compact Flash. The CipherChain is small enough to fit into practically any equipment
  
• Easily mount into any system via either a drive bay or a PCI slot
• Install into external storage enclosures such as Addonics Storage Towers and Storage Rack via the SCSI - 1 punch-out or one of the drive bays.
• Multiple CipherChains can be daisy chained to achieve incredibly complex security level.
• High performance - up to 150 MB/sec
• OS independent - can be used on any systems

Note on Cipher key code
By default from the factory, each pair of Cipher keys is set to a unique key code. When you order multiple Cipher kits, extra Cipher keys and you wish to have all the keys set to the same key code, you may leave your instructions at the final check out when you place the order at our online store. You may also email us the instruction with reference to your sales order number after your final check out. If you order from the Addonics reseller or distributor, be sure to leave them the instruction at the time when you place the order. At any time, You can always send the keys to us to re-code them to however you want. There is no charge for re-coding keys. You only need cover the cost of shipping the keys back to you.

Product Reviews

7/30 "Addonics Technologies has rolled out CipherChain, an AES 256-bit hardware full disk encryption system for personal computers, servers, rack mounted systems, data storage and any computing equipment."

Models

CipherChain kit	Description and Package content
CCM35MK1	CipherChain kit with single CipherChain for mounting onto standard 3.5" drive bay This model includes the following components: single CipherChain on 3.5" bay bracket 1 pair of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 18" internal Serial ATA cable model: AASAIDC18I user guide
CCM35MK2	CipherChain kit with dual CipherChain for mounting onto standard 3.5" drive bay please note that the two pairs of Cipher keys come with two different key codes. You can request to program them all to the same key code at the final check out on our online store or email us the instruction with reference to your sales order number. This model includes the following components: dual CipherChain on 3.5" bay bracket 2 pairs of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 2x 18" internal Serial ATA cables model: AASAIDC18I user guide
CCMSPC1	Cipherchain kit with single CipherChain for mounting onto SCSI-1 punch-out or PCI bracket This model includes the following components: single CipherChain on SCSI- bracket PCI bracket Model: PCISCBKT 1 pair of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 18" internal Serial ATA cable model: AASAIDC18I user guide
CCMSPC2	Cipherchain kit with dual CipherChain for mounting onto SCSI-1 punch out or PCI bracket please note that the two pairs of Cipher keys come with two different key codes. You can request to program them all to the same key code at the final check out on our online store or email us the instruction with reference to your sales order number. This model includes the following components: dual CipherChain on SCSI- bracket PCI bracket Model: PCISCBKT 2 pairs of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 2x 18" internal Serial ATA cables model: AASAIDC18I user guide
CCMSCD1	Cipherchain kit with single CipherChain for mounting onto slim CD bay bracket This model includes the following components: single CipherChain on slim CD bay bracket 1 pair of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 18" internal Serial ATA cable model: AASAIDC18I user guide
CCMSCD2	Cipherchain kit with dual CipherChain for mounting onto slim CD bay bracket please note that the two pairs of Cipher keys come with two different key codes. You can request to program them all to the same key code at the final check out on our online store or email us the instruction with reference to your sales order number. This model includes the following components: dual CipherChain on slim CD bay bracket 2 pairs of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 2x 18" internal Serial ATA cables model: AASAIDC18I user guide

CipherChain-e kit	Description and Package content
CCM35MK1-E	CipherChain-e kit with single CipherChain-e for mounting onto standard 3.5" drive bay This model includes the following components: single CipherChain-e on 3.5" bay bracket 1 pair of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 18" internal Serial ATA cable model: AASAIDC18I user guide
CCM35MK2-E	CipherChain-e kit with one CipherChain-e and one CipherChain for mounting onto standard 3.5" drive bay please note that the two pairs of Cipher keys come with two different key codes. You can request to program them all to the same key code at the final check out on our online store or email us the instruction with reference to your sales order number. This model includes the following components: combination of CipherChain and a CipherChain-e on 3.5" bay bracket 2 pairs of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 2x 18" internal Serial ATA cables model: AASAIDC18I user guide
CCMSPC-E	Cipherchain-e kit with single CipherChain-e for mounting onto PCI bracket This model includes the following components: single CipherChain-e on SCSI- bracket PCI bracket Model: PCISCBKT 1 pair of AES 256-bit Cipher keys model: AAENKEY256-2 Floppy Y-power cable model: AA4PYFFCBL 18" internal Serial ATA cable model: AASAIDC18I user guide

CipherChain and accessories

CipherChain CCAES256M

SCSI-1 bracket for one CipherChain CCSCBKT1

SCSI-1 bracket for two CipherChain CCSCBKT2

slim CD bracket for one CipherChain CCSCDBK1

slim CD bracket for two CipherChain CCSCDBK2

3.5" bay bracket for one CipherChain CC35MK1

3.5" bay bracket for two CipherChains CC35MK2

PCI converter bracket, for SCSI-1 bracket PCISCBKT

CipherChain-e CCAES256M-E

SCSI-1 bracket for one CipherChain-e CCSCBKT-E

3.5" bay bracket for one CipherChain-e CC35MK1-E

3.5" bay bracket for one CipherChain-e and one CipherChain CC35MK2-E

3.5" to 5.1/4" drive bay mounting bracket AAMK53

15-pin SATA to 4-pin Molex power connector AASA4PPC

Blank AES 256-bit Cipher key AAENKEY256

Floppy Y-power cable AA4PYFFCBL

Cipher key socket extension cable CKEYEX6

18" internal Serial ATA cable AASAIDC18I

There is no back door for the CipherChain encrypted hard drive if the Cipher key is lost or stolen. To ensure there is a spare key, every CipherChain kit comes with one pair of Cipher keys. One of these keys should be kept in a safe and secure location and can be sent back to Addonics for duplicating additional keys. If you are down to the last key, be sure to make a back up of all the data stored inside your encrypted hard drive prior to sending the last key to Addonics. Addonics is not responsible for the key lost in the mail or the retrieval of the data inside the encrypted hard drive.

Cipher Key management system

For organization with large deployment, you may consider managing your own keys by investing into a Addonics Cipher key duplicating system.

Specifications

• Onboard AES 256-bit crypto engine
• SATA I/II compliant
• SATA connectors:
  • Blue - for connecting to host
  • Black - for connecting to device
• LEDs:
  • Green - for power and the presence of key code
  • Yellow - drive access activity
• RESET: To clear key code and reset the CipherChains. This also remove the drive icon when the storage device is removed from the CipherChain and the connected SATA supports hot swap.
• Disable RESET jumper - to disable the RESET button.
• Maximum throughput - 150 MB/sec
• Small 4-P power connector
• Input power: 5V @ 150 mA
• Dimension: 41 x 48.5 x 8 mm (1.61 x 1.9 x .31 in)
• Weight: 12 g (0.4 oz)
• Operating temperature and humidity: 0 °C to + 75 °C, 5% - 95% (non condensing)
• Storage temperature and humidity: -40 °C to + 85 °C, 5% - 90% humidity

System requirement:

• Any system with 1 available SATA port
• Standard 4P Molex power connector or floppy drive power connector
• One of the following mounting options:
  • PCI slot
  • 3.5" drive bay
  • slim CD drive bay
  • 5.25" drive bay (require optional 3.5" to 5.25" drive bay mounting bracket)
• OS: Any Operating System

specification subject to change without notice