This white paper compares hardware and software encryption using KIOXIA CM6 Series NVMe SSDs. Hardware encryption via self-encrypting drives (SEDs) delivers near-zero performance impact, while software encryption significantly degrades throughput and maxes out CPU usage. Tests showed hardware encryption performed 205–490% better across workloads and used up to 91% less CPU than software. KIOXIA’s SSDs support AES-256, TCG-Opal, and FIPS 140 standards. With integrated encryption and low overhead, CM6 SSDs provide a secure, efficient alternative for data-at-rest protection without compromising performance.

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