A method and system is provided for selectively denying access to encoded data.
Encryption is used to protect secured data on any of a number of media devices
in a system and in which unsecured data is not encrypted. The classified data is
encrypted and then transmitted for storage on the medium. The encryption key is
stored only in volatile memory on the target device connected to the medium during
a mission. The encryption key is known only in a location physically distant from
the target device during a mission. Resources are provided for mission personnel
to immediately delete the encryption key from volatile memory upon perceiving a
threat, as well as causing automatic deletion of the encryption key upon a power
loss to the target device in order to make the encrypted data unavailable to any
personnel (whether authorized or not) at the location of the target device.
