Encryption is the process of changing information in such a way as to make it unreadable by anyone except those possessing special knowledge (usually referred to as a "key") that allows the user to change the information back to its original form. Encryption is important because it allows the customer to securely protect data that the customer does not want anyone else to have access to. Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) are a key attribute in securing data because they encrypt data without any user interaction and provide an effective method of data erasure. There are three key features of SEDs: encryption, authentication, and sanitization. Encryption is used to secure data for the following: Compliance with data protection laws and regulations such as HIPAA; Securing sensitive business data to avoid high penalties and other costs; SSDs store sensitive data and have a growing need for strong data encryption; Requirement for various methods of data erasure, or “sanitization”.