CONFIDENTIAL COMPUTING

The Confidential Computing Consortium defines Confidential Computing as the protection of data in use by performing computation in a hardware-based, attested Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). A Trusted Execution Environment is a secure area of a main processor which prevents unauthorized access or ability to alter data.

Data exists in one of three states – at rest, in motion, or in use. Confidential Computing addresses protection of data “in use.”

Fortanix is widely credited with pioneering what today we call Confidential Computing. In September 2017, Fortanix launched the first commercially available Runtime Encryption solution using Intel SGX® to protect sensitive data “in use” allowing enterprises to run their most sensitive application in public clouds, edge servers and untrusted geographies in a secure manner. That launch was the genesis of what is Confidential Computing today.

Data is the most precious asset of any organization, other than its employees. And data is vulnerable in all states of existence, unless it is protected. So, every organization that wants to protect its data across the entire life cycle can benefit from Confidential Computing. That being said, industries that are highly regulated and/or in possession of personal information can particularly derive great benefit from using Confidential Computing. Privacy regulations are proliferating around the world and data breaches are becoming increasingly common with significant consequences for both the company and the people whose information is compromised. It is no wonder that industries like financial services, healthcare, technology and government are leading the adoption of Confidential Computing. 

We are also seeing great advances in AI and ML, and its potential impact on industries such as healthcare is enormous. But these advances require access to high quality, real world data that are representative of global populations. Confidential Computing can not only help provide access to real world data without compromising security, or violating privacy regulations, it can also help protect the intellectual property of the AI models as well. 

Companies like Fortanix customer BeeKeeper AI use Confidential Computing technology from Fortanix and Intel SGX to accelerate the development and deployment of AI algorithms in healthcare. With Fortanix Confidential Computing they are able to remove the barriers to accessing critical clinical data which is essential to developing, validating, and deploying high quality, impactful algorithms resulting in optimal health and healthcare. Click here to read the case study. 

Fortanix customers like Fiverity and Consilient are helping financial services institutions by leveraging Fortanix Confidential Computing to fight against financial crime. Their solutions transform how organizations discover threats like money laundering and fraud by allowing financial institutions to collaborate across organizations, industries, and geographies, without compromising data security or privacy. Click here to watch an on-demand webinar on “Securing Digital Identity and Assets with Confidential Computing.” 

The U.S. Federal Government is allocating billions of dollars for cybersecurity on a yearly basis to protect classified information, critical infrastructure, and defend against ransomware. Fortanix works with government agencies like the Department of Justice, Department of Health & Human Services, and others to protect sensitive data even in the most challenging environments. Using Fortanix Confidential Computing they are now able to protect sensitive data even if the infrastructure is compromised, and also help mitigate future attacks. 

Leidos, a FORTUNE® 500 science and technology leader, has worked in collaboration with Intel and Fortanix to validate the application of Confidential Computing to protect sensitive data and application software when in use, in support of U.S. healthcare agency requirements.

Other companies use Confidential Computing for a wide variety of additional use cases including fintech companies and crypto platforms for blockchain, crypto wallets and NFTs.

The potential for Confidential Computing is tremendous. Industry leaders and some of the best known technology companies like Accenture, ANT Group, ARM, Google, Huawei, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Red Hat, together with Fortanix and other members are collaborating via the Confidential Computing Consortium to expand and advance the use of Confidential Computing.