AES Encryption
What is AES (Class 0 SED), and how do I use it?
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard, Class 0 SED) technology is the standard algorithm of the United States that was designed to protect computer data. The AES technology applied to the SSD employs hardware-based controller and encryption technology, which minimizes the loss of performance and encrypts data to protect the stored information against external access.
Most Samsung SSD models (840, 840 PRO, 840 EVO, 850 PRO, 850 EVO, 950 PRO) support AES-256bit. 256bit refers to the length of the key used for data encryption. The larger the bit number, the more powerful the encryption becomes.
If you enable the HDD Password in BIOS, SED using the Class0 mode will be enabled, and you don't need to install separate software. Some systems or BIOS may not support this feature.
How to set up AES encryption - In BIOS, Security > Password on boot > HDD Password (※May differ depending on the BIOS)
The encryption key set for the AES is stored in the NAND of the SSD. If the key is lost, you can only reset the encryption key by performing a Secure Erase. If you do so, all existing data will be lost.