Western Digital launches post‑quantum hard drives for AI data security

Western Digital Corporation announced that its new Ultrastar UltraSMR enterprise hard drives now incorporate post‑quantum cryptography (PQC). The Ultrastar DC HC6100 drives use NIST‑approved ML‑DSA‑87 algorithms and dual‑sign with RSA‑3072 to secure firmware integrity, key management and device‑level trust. The hardware is being qualified with several hyperscale customers and is aimed at AI infrastructure where massive data sets are retained for years, making them vulnerable to future quantum attacks such as Harvest‑Now‑Decrypt‑Later. By embedding quantum‑resilient protection at the storage layer, Western Digital seeks to establish a baseline for long‑term, quantum‑safe data storage across enterprise environments.

The company plans to extend PQC capabilities to additional drive product lines, reinforcing its role in protecting AI‑driven enterprises against emerging cryptographic threats.