Abstract: A storage system includes a host configured to provide a request for setting or clearing secure write protection; and a storage device including a register, the register including fields that store information for controlling write protection attributes and a secure mode of the storage device, the storage device being configured to authenticate a request of the host when the secure mode is enabled, wherein the storage device is configured set or clear the secure write protection based on the request of the host when the storage device authenticates the request of the host, wherein after the secure mode is set, the storage device restricts an access of an unauthenticated host for setting and clearing write protection, and wherein the register comprises a secure write protection (WP) configuration masking field for controlling register fields of the register that are associated with write protection.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes receiving, at a storage device, a request. The request includes a request message authentication code and write protect information. The write protect information includes at least one of start address information and length information. The start address information indicates a logical block address at which a memory area in a non-volatile memory of the storage device starts, and the length information indicates a length of the memory area. The method also includes generating, at the storage device, a message authentication code based on (1) at least one of the start address information and the length information, and (2) a key stored at the storage device; authenticating, at the storage device, the request based on the generated message authentication code and the request message authentication code; and processing, at the storage device, the request based on a result of the authenticating.