Environment-aware storage drive with expandable security policies

An environment-aware storage drive having a location-based service the environment-aware storage comprising:

• a storage medium that comprises one or more of a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive;
• a location signal of the environment-aware storage drive generated relative to a geo-fenced area;
• a controller to access and update a block chain-enabled ledger with event occurrences associated with the environment-aware storage drive, the event occurrences associated with a current location of the environment-aware storage drive, the block chain-enabled ledger configured, for forensic purposes, to keep track of a plurality of event occurrences and associated data received from the environment-aware storage drive via a block chain that is utilized to encrypt and distribute the event occurrences and associated data in a secure fashion using cryptography;
• and
• a policy unit on the controller configured to determine security policies defining when the event occurrence is triggered or when data associated with the event occurrence is logged with the block chain-enabled ledger, and specifying access restrictions to the environment-aware storage drive based on its current location, wherein the security policies enforce different types of encryption to encrypt data stored on the storage medium based on a security of the current location.

A method comprising:

• storing data on a storage medium of environment-aware storage drive, the environment-aware storage drive being at least one of a hard drive and a solid-state drive;
• establishing an internet connection with the environment-aware storage drive;
• generating a signal associated with a location of the environment-aware storage drive relative to a geo-fenced area;
• based on the generated signal, accessing, interacting with, and updating, for forensic purposes, a block chain-enabled ledger unit with events and associated data received from the environment-aware storage drive, the events associated with a current location of the environment-aware storage drive;
• tracking a plurality of events or associated data received from the environment-aware storage drive by the ledger unit;
• determining an expandable set of security policies associated with the environment-aware storage drive, the expandable set of security policies defining when the event is triggered or when the associated data of the event is logged with the block chain-enabled ledger unit, the security policies specifying access restrictions to the environment-aware storage drive based on the current location of the environment-aware storage drive;
• and
• transmitting and enforcing the expandable set of security policies on the environment-aware storage drive, wherein the security policies prevent access to the data stored on the storage medium when the internet connection is lost.