USB storage bridges may expose ATA commands via SCSI/ATA Translation (SAT), but ATA Security behavior varies by bridge and firmware. Without an explicit vendor guarantee, reported capabilities do not confirm end-to-end command support. After zeroing a 4TB WD My Passport USB HDD via dd, ATA Security support was queried: hdparm -I /dev/sdX /dev/sdX: ATA device, with non-removable media Model Number: WDC WD40NMZW-11GX6S1 ... Security: Master password revision code = 48059 supported enabled not locked not frozen not expired: security count supported: enhanced erase Security level high 768min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 2min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT. ... Setting a password appeared to succeed: hdparm --user-master u --security-set-pass p /dev/sdX but issuing SECURITY ERASE failed: hdparm --user-master u --security-erase p /dev/sdX security_password: "p" /dev/sdX: Issuing SECURITY_ERASE command, password="p", user=user SG_IO: bad/missing sense data, sb[]: 70 00 05 00 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 00 24 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 SG_IO: bad/missing sense data, sb[]: 70 00 05 00 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 00 24 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 hdparm -I /dev/sdX initially continued to return the expected device information. However, after disconnecting and reconnecting the drive, it reported only: /dev/sdX: ATA device, with non-removable media Standards: Likely used: 1 Configuration: Logical max current cylinders 0 0 heads 0 0 sectors/track 0 0 -- Logical/Physical Sector size: 512 bytes device size with M = 1024*1024: 0 MBytes device size with M = 1000*1000: 0 MBytes cache/buffer size = unknown Capabilities: IORDY not likely Cannot perform double-word IO R/W multiple sector transfer: not supported DMA: not supported PIO: pio0 Attempting to unlock also failed: hdparm --user-master u --security-unlock p /dev/sdX security_password: "p" /dev/sdX: Issuing SECURITY_UNLOCK command, password="p", user=user SG_IO: bad/missing sense data, sb[]: 70 00 07 00 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 00 74 71 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 WD Drive Utilities restored access to the drive: Launch WD Drive Utilities; the Unlock Drive prompt will appear: The password set with hdparm will not be accepted; enter any password five times to reveal an erase option (the Drive Erase icon remains unavailable while the drive is locked): Set volume name and format, acknowledge the warning, and click Erase Drive. The utility erases and reinitializes the drive, restoring normal access: Related ATA Secure Erase (SE) and hdparm Accidently locked my WD My Passport 25E2400425E2WXN1EB6C unable to dd, smartmon, fdisk or anything on a working external Western Digital Hard Drive USB devices and smartmontools Smartmontools USB Device Support USB adapters that contain a SATA controller chip that supports ATA pass through for secure erase/HPA/DCO/smart data What USB to IDE adapter that can send the ATA Secure Erase command?