To the common person, all data that is stored on a computer drive is “encrypted” since it is just a bunch of letters and numbers. An experienced hacker, however, can use this same data to see exactly what is on the computer. To combat this vulnerability, that data can be encrypted in one of two ways, either by allowing the computer software to encrypt data as it puts it on the drive or by having dedicated encryption hardware stored on the drive itself. Software-based encryption uses the computer’s resources to encrypt data and perform other cryptographic operations. Software encryption often uses the user’s password as the encryption key that scrambles the data. Hardware-based encryption uses a dedicated processor that is physically located on the encrypted drive instead of the computer’s processor. This encryption processor also often contains a random number generator to generate an encryption key, which the user’s password will unlock. Hardware-based encryption runs on its own hardware and has no effect on overall system performance. Writer Bio
