computer science

IEEE Security in Storage Working Group

IEEE Security in Storage Working Group is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand IEEE Security in Storage Working Group rather than just read about it. In short: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Security in Storage Working Group (SISWG), oversees a family of standards for protection of stored data and for the corresponding cryptographic key management. SISWG is part of the IEEE Cybersecurity and Privacy Standards Committee (CPSC).

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Security in Storage Working Group (SISWG), oversees a family of standards for protection of stored data and for the corresponding cryptographic key management. SISWG is part of the IEEE Cybersecurity and Privacy Standards Committee (CPSC).

Block Encryption Standards SISWG oversees work on the following block encryption standards: IEEE Std 1619-2025 (Standard for Cryptographic Protection of Data on Block-Oriented Storage Devices) uses the XTS-Advanced Encryption Standard (XEX-based Tweakable Cipher Mode with ciphertext stealing). Examples of its use include self-encrypting storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). The XTS-AES algorithm can also be implemented by software-based encryption, with the resulting encrypted user data stored on a drive that does not necessarily perform encryption internally. The most recent (2025) version of 1619 established requirements for the maximum amount of data to be encrypted using a single symmetric data-encryption key. Earlier versions had pointed out that as larger amounts of data were encrypted with the same key (i.e., the key scope), the higher the chances that an adversary could perform a successful brute-force decryption attack given only the ciphertext (encrypted data). By the early 2020s, SSDs and HDDs had reached such high capacities that such attacks would soon become practical. The impact on self-encrypting drives was that multiple active keys needed to be managed by the drive. There was a similar impact on software-based encryption of large data sets. (The original version of 1619 (2007) standardized key backup in the XML format, but that was removed in the 2013 version.) IEEE Std 1619.1-2018 (Standard for Authenticated Encryption with Length Expansion for Storage Devices) defines the following algorithms:

Counter mode with CBC-MAC (CCM) Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) with HMAC XTS-HMAC IEEE Std 1619.2-2025 (Standard for Wide-Block Encryption for Shared Storage Media) defines one algorithm:

Encrypt Mix Encrypt V2 (EME2-AES) (The XCB-AES mode had been defined in earlier versions of 1619.2, but XCB (Extended Code Book) was reported broken and was removed from the 2025 version of 1619.2.)

Narrow-block vs. wide-block encryption An encryption algorithm used for data storage has to support independent encryption and decryption of portions of data. So-called narrow-block algorithms operate on relatively small portions of data, while the wide-block algorithms encrypt or decrypt a whole sector. Narrow-block algorithms have the advantage of more efficient hardware implementation. On the other hand, smaller block size provides finer granularity for data modification attacks. There is no standardized "acceptable granularity"; however, for example, the possibility of data modification with the granularity of one bit (bit-flipping attack) is generally considered unacceptable. For these reasons, the working group selected the narrow-block (128 bits) encryption with no authentication in the standard P1619, assuming that the added efficiency warrants the additional risk. But recognizing that wide-block encryption might be useful in some cases, another standard, 1619.2, was developed to define an algorithm for the usage of wide-block encryption.

Storage Sanitization Standards SISWG oversees development of a family of standards on sanitization of storage: IEEE Std 2883-2022 (Standard for Sanitizing Storage) defines methods of sanitizing data storage devices and systems. It gives requirements and guidance for the elimination of recorded data. Requirements for implementing techniques defined in 2883 will be defined in P3406 (see below). Work began on the first version of IEEE 2883 in 2020 and it was published in 2022. Many of the concepts came from early versions of NIST SP800-88 (Guidelines for Media Sanitization) and ISO/IEC 27040 (Storage Security). These include defining methods of sanitization (Clear, Purge, and Destruct/Destruction) and how to sanitize specific types of storage media (e.g., disk drives, SSDs, paper records). Those standards had provided few if any actual mandatory compliance requirements (e.g., things that "shall" be done). In the absence of "shall" requirements, claims of compliance are meaningless. ISO/IEC 27040 was updated in early 2024 to refer to IEEE 2883 as the source of actual requirements. Similarly, SP 800-88 was updated to Revision 2 in 2025 to refer to requirements in the next version of 2883, which is under development as of 2025. IEEE Std 2883.1-2025 (Recommended Practice for Use of Storage Sanitization Methods) provides recommendations on how to apply the sanitization methods defined in 2883. It explains that users should consider risk, feasibility, effectiveness, economics, and environmental consequences. IEEE 2883.1 is a "recommended practice" document and is not formally considered a "standard". Project P2883.2 (Recommended Practice for Virtualized and Cloud Storage Sanitization) is under development to provide recommendations on how to apply the sanitization methods defined in 2883 to virtualized and cloud storage systems. Such systems present interfaces to users that are at a much higher level of abstraction than the command interfaces of individual data storage drives. Project P3406 (Standard for Purge and Destruct Sanitization Framework) is under development to provide requirements on how to define and implement techniques that perform the Purge and Destruct methods defined in IEEE 2883. Some details in the 2022 version of IEEE 2883 will be moved into 3406.

Other Standards IEEE Std 1667-2018 (Standard for Discovery, Authentication, and Authorization in Host Attachments of Storage Devices) defines discovery, authentication, and authorization protocols between hosts and storage devices over multiple transports. As of 2026, project P1667 is under development to update 1667-2018.

See also Comparison of disk encryption software Disk encryption Encryption Full disk encryption Key management Key Management Interoperability Protocol On-the-fly encryption

References

Sources Luykx, Atul; Nandi, Mridul (2024). "XCB is Not a Secure Tweakable Block Cipher" (preprint). IACR ePrint Archive. Luykx, Atul; Nandi, Mridul (2025). "XCB is Not a Secure Tweakable Block Cipher". IACR Transactions on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems. 2025 (1).

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IEEE Security in Storage Working Group

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IEEE Security in Storage Working Group claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to IEEE Security in Storage Working Group before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about IEEE Security in Storage Working Group ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of IEEE Security in Storage Working Group

In research: IEEE Security in Storage Working Group appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses IEEE Security in Storage Working Group in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: IEEE Security in Storage Working Group is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cryptography standards, Disk encryption, IEEE standards, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IEEE Security in Storage Working Group outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study IEEE Security in Storage Working Group in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IEEE Security in Storage Working Group means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain IEEE Security in Storage Working Group out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IEEE Security in Storage Working Group in simple terms?

Why does IEEE Security in Storage Working Group matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study IEEE Security in Storage Working Group?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on IEEE Security in Storage Working Group.