LSI has confirmed in a press release that the new SSD controller SandForce SF-2281 does not offer correct support for AES-256 encryption – something it earlier claimed. The problem is hardware related and Intel now offers customers to return their products with full reimbursement.
SandForce SF-2281 is the sole SSD controller with hardware support for 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption. The support is found in separate encryption circuits and it now turns out that the 256-bti encryption engine only works with 128-bit encryption. This can only be fixed with a physical update of the controller circuit.
LSI sells the SandForce controllers to fifty or SSD makers and many of these, including Intel, have made official announcements regarding this. Intel allows customers to return the drives of the lack of AES 256-bit encryption affects them negatively. If it is a problem you can return your Intel 520 SSD before October 1st 2012 and get your money back.
Intel points out that it will work toward launching SSD units with working AES 256-bit encryption. LSI also confirms that it is working on solving the problem in its SandForce SF-2281 controller.
Kingston that use the SandForce SF-2281 controllern in the SSDNow V+200 and KC100 series announced that it wis working with LSI to fix the problems and that customers can contact customer services to replace their SSD units with updated models.
For regular users that don’t use AES encryption or settle for dual AES 128-bit encryption engines, SF-2281 will work just as it should.
http://goo.gl/uADAt