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Tag: Confidential Computing

  • AMD and Google Cloud Deliver EPYC-Based Confidential Computing

    AMD and Google Cloud Deliver EPYC-Based Confidential Computing

    AMD and Google Cloud are expanding their partnership, applying the power of EPYC processors to confidential computing.

    Confidential computing is a vital aspect of cloud security, helping to secure data while it’s being used. The technology keeps the data sequestered within the a protected enclave of the CPU, with only authorized programs cleared to access it. AMD and Google Cloud have unveiled new confidential computing virtual machines (VMs) powered by AMD’s EPYC processors.

    “AMD has worked collaboratively with Google Cloud and Google’s security experts to provide customers access to advanced security technology while still achieving high performance in their workloads,” said Lynn Comp, corporate vice president, Cloud Business Unit, AMD. “With 3rd Gen AMD EPYC processors powering the new confidential computing offerings from Google Cloud, customers can continue to enjoy the general purpose and compute optimized workload capabilities they’ve had from Google Cloud, all while feeling confident in the security of their data.”

    “By providing our customers with advanced security technology from 3rd Gen AMD EPYC processors, we’re not only delivering more performance, but also optimizing Confidential Computing for more types of workloads,” said Nelly Porter, Group Product Manager, Google Cloud. “At Google Cloud, we believe that continuously investing in emerging technologies like Confidential Computing with partners like AMD will help us address our customers’ most pressing privacy concerns.”

    The news is a big win for AMD as the company continues to eat into Intel’s lead in the server market. After three years of gains, AMD’s share recently came in at 11.6%, driven largely by the success of its EPYC line.

    AMD says the new confidential computing VMs are available in regions around the globe.

  • IBM and AMD Partnering On Cloud Confidential Computing and AI

    IBM and AMD Partnering On Cloud Confidential Computing and AI

    IBM and AMD have announced a joint development agreement to advance cloud confidential computing and artificial intelligence (AI).

    Cloud computing and AI are two of the most important and disruptive technology trends in today’s world. Especially as the pandemic swept the globe, companies raced to adopt cloud computing as a way to maintain productivity as employees worked from home.

    Confidential computing is widely considered to be an important step to further cloud adoption. Confidential computing focuses on protecting data while it is being accessed and processed, not just when it is stored or in transit.

    Similarly, AI is stands to be one of the transformational technologies of the 21st century. Companies all over the globe are racing to develop true AI, as well as the safeguards necessary to safely deploy it.

    IBM and AMD, two of the biggest names in tech, are partnering on both technologies in a multi-year joint venture.

    “The commitment of AMD to technological innovation aligns with our mission to develop and accelerate the adoption of the hybrid cloud to help connect, secure and power our digital world,” said Dario Gil, Director of IBM Research. “IBM is focused on giving our clients choice, agility and security in our hybrid cloud offerings through advanced research, development and scaling of new technologies.”

    “This agreement between AMD and IBM aligns well with our long-standing commitment to collaborating with leaders in the industry,” said Mark Papermaster, executive vice president and CTO, AMD. “AMD is excited to extend our work with IBM on AI, accelerating data center workloads, and improving security across the cloud.”

  • Google Introduces Confidential Computing, a New Way of Encrypting Cloud Data

    Google Introduces Confidential Computing, a New Way of Encrypting Cloud Data

    Google Cloud has introduced Confidential Computing in a bid to help secure data in the cloud.

    Google and Microsoft are both founding members of the Confidential Computing industry group. The goal of Confidential Computing is to encrypt and secure data while it is being used and processed. This is far different than current encryption methods, wherein data must be decrypted in order to access it. In its current incarnation, Google Cloud encrypts data in transit and at rest, but the data must be decrypted to work with.

    Confidential Computing is a game-changer since it keeps data encrypted at every step of the process, including when the data is being accessed.

    “Google Cloud encrypts data at-rest and in-transit, but customer data must be decrypted for processing,” write Nelly Porter, Senior Product Manager; Gilad Golan, Engineering Director, Confidential Computing; and Sam Lugani, Lead Security PMM, G Suite & GCP platform. “Confidential Computing is a breakthrough technology which encrypts data in-use—while it is being processed. Confidential Computing environments keep data encrypted in memory and elsewhere outside the central processing unit (CPU).

    “Confidential VMs, now in beta, is the first product in Google Cloud’s Confidential Computing portfolio. We already employ a variety of isolation and sandboxing techniques as part of our cloud infrastructure to help make our multi-tenant architecture secure. Confidential VMs take this to the next level by offering memory encryption so that you can further isolate your workloads in the cloud. Confidential VMs can help all our customers protect sensitive data, but we think it will be especially interesting to those in regulated industries.”

    This is an exciting development in the realm of cloud security, and specifically for Google Cloud. As the first major cloud provider to offer Confidential Computing, this is a big win for Google as it battles its larger rivals in the cloud space.