http://www.nero.com/enu/showpress.php?id=1014
Nero, leaders in digital media technology, today announced SecurDisc™, the first solution for the access control and performance reliability of data stored on optical media that allows it to be distributed and shared securely. The benefits of this technology are realized with CD and DVD media authored via SecurDisc-certified devices and carry the SecurDisc™ logo. Nero is seeking to build a logo-certification program around its new format with software and hardware vendors interested in distinguishing themselves in the marketplace by offering this technology to their customers
SecurDisc™ technology offers the following benefits that were previously unavailable to optical storage media users:
* prohibits unauthorized access to data through password protection
* detects altered data on authored media through checksum verification
* increases performance and reliability through redundantly stored data
* authenticates the origin of data through digital signature verification
...
SecurDisc™ features can be combined on a single media and mixed with unprotected data, giving users full flexibility and control over the content stored on a disc and the measures they want to take to keep it secure. The high security of the password protection feature is assured by AES-128 encryption and secret values implemented in the optical disc drive firmware of SecurDisc-certified drives. Utilizing this hardware and software-based solution, SecurDisc™ offers additional security and robustness against hacking and breaches than a software-only solution.
SecurDisc supports CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM media, and is supported by the Windows ™ 2000, Windows ™ XP and Windows™ Vista operating systems. The Nero Express application is required to author SecurDisc™ media, and Nero's InCD Reader is required to access media and files protected by the format. Soon available as a free download, InCD Reader will allow all CD and DVD drives to access data recorded with SecurDisc™ technology.
The SecurDisc™ optical device feature set can be easily implemented in pre-existing optical storage devices by drive manufacturers via common firmware MMC standard commands.
I like how drive manufacturers can add support via a firmware update (how many will..?) but I'm not a big fan of InCD. I really don't want to have to run it to read a disc. Hopefully the reader can coexist with other packet writing software.
