IEEE Security in Storage Working Group


The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Security in Storage Working Group, 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.

Block Encryption Standards

SISWG oversees work on the following block encryption standards:
IEEE Std 1619-2025 uses the XTS-Advanced Encryption Standard. 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 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, the higher the chances that an adversary could perform a successful brute-force decryption attack given only the ciphertext. 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.
IEEE Std 1619.1-2018 defines the following algorithms:
IEEE Std 1619.2-2025 defines one algorithm:
  • Encrypt Mix Encrypt V2

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 is generally considered unacceptable.
For these reasons, the working group selected the narrow-block 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 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.
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 and ISO/IEC 27040. These include defining methods of sanitization and how to sanitize specific types of storage media. Those standards had provided few if any actual mandatory compliance requirements. 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 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 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 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 1617-2018 defines discovery, authentication, and authorization protocols between hosts and storage devices over multiple transports.
As of 2025, project P1617 is under development to update 1617.