As the volume and variety of sensitive data grow exponentially and cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, having strong data security controls is not optional for organizations worldwide.
Confidential computing, with its promise of safeguarding data in use through secure enclaves and advanced cryptographic techniques, stands out as a compelling solution to address the challenges posed by modern cyber threats. Read on to discover how this technology will impact the future of data security.
The Challenge of Protecting Data in Use
Cyber attackers are always on the lookout for the easiest and most convenient way to compromise an organization’s network and gain access to sensitive information. Although cybersecurity has advanced a lot in the past years, malicious actors are correspondingly getting more sophisticated in their attack measures.
So, even though it is now harder for attackers to intercept data in transit and at rest, the nature of data in use makes it more susceptible to attacks. In essence, data in use is the point of least resistance.
Even when stored data has been encrypted, it must be decrypted for applications once it’s time to use the data. This presents attackers with a leeway to exploit vulnerabilities in the system and it also compromises on standards for holistic cybersecurity.
Code injection, malware infiltration, memory dumps, privilege escalation, and man-in-the-middle attacks are a few threats data could be exposed to in use. This leads us to confidential computing and why it is presented as a surefire solution to this challenge.
The Confidential Computing Approach to Data Security
The adoption of remote and hybrid work models has significantly increased data exposure and its attendant risks. With data being accessed and used more outside the traditional office network, organizations are grappling with having limited oversight on what goes on within their systems.
Source: LinkedIn
Confidential computing, however, mitigates these challenges by introducing secure and isolated Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) as secure enclaves where data can be decrypted for use and processed securely. It also makes use of cryptographic techniques to lock out unauthorized and unrecognizable access. During this process, the TEE only allows communication with the trusted components of the system.
Thus, sensitive information is never exposed at any time, not even to the cloud vendor or to the application itself. More so, even if the main operating system is compromised, the data within the secure enclave remains protected. And the attack surface is also minimized by keeping the trusted computing base as small as possible.
It is no surprise then, that confidential computing is being hailed as the next frontier in data security, according to the Confidential Computing Consortium. Currently, its market size stands at $5.3 billion, yet it is expected to be about $60 billion in the next five years. So, there are high expectations for the increasingly broad adoption of confidential computing as a data security model in the coming months and years.
Source: MarketsandMarkets
Characteristics and Benefits of Confidential Computing
Confidential computing can be considered an extension to existing zero-trust security principles, now being accepted by 80% of organizations as a critical IT model. For instance, secure enclaves are a kind of least privileged access at work for data in use and continuous data protection is a major pillar of zero-trust IT.
In addition, implementing confidential computing places organizations in a better position to fulfill the stringent requirements of data protection laws such as the GDPR and CCPA, especially by minimizing data exposure and ensuring accountability.
The following three characteristics are specifically identified by the CCC:
- Data Integrity: confidential computing employs advanced cryptographic techniques and protocols to prevent the corruption of data or unauthorized modification of any kind that could compromise the organization.
- Data Confidentiality: with confidential computing, sensitive information remains private. Since its data security approach is primarily hardware-based, security is more enhanced than traditional software-based technologies.
- Code Integrity: by using secure boot processes, for instance, confidential computing technologies prevent the system from running compromised software that can tamper with the underlying infrastructure.
Challenges of Confidential Computing
For all its benefits and the acclaim it is getting these days, confidential computing is not without its challenges and these can serve as obstacles to a wider adoption, especially among small and medium-sized companies. Here are some immediate major challenges:
a. High Implementation Costs
Confidential computing is resource-intensive, and organizations require significant investments in hardware and software components to get started, not to mention the ongoing costs for maintenance. The cost factor may limit its adoption, especially for smaller organizations with limited resources.
b. Required Skills
Implementing confidential computing solutions requires personnel with a skill set that covers complex cryptography, secure enclave management, and understanding the intricacies of underlying system architecture. There is currently a low supply of cybersecurity experts and many organizations have to rely on reskilling current employees.
However, skilling up an IT team to meet the demands of confidential computing will take much more time and resources, not the least because of the complexity of the technology as well as its relative recency.
c. Seamless Implementation
Some applications may not be compatible with secure enclaves, necessitating a redesign or redeployment. Plus, interoperability may also be a concern, particularly in multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environments. This is unlike data loss prevention solutions, which while innovative, are designed to be seamlessly integrable.
More so, note that secure enclave environments restrict access and communication with external systems for the sake of security. This can cause additional friction in business operations and organizations may have to take a hard compromise between security and efficiency, at least, in the meantime.
d. Vendor Lock-In
Partly because confidential computing is relatively recent and still evolving, most solutions are proprietary to their vendors. Essentially, organizations adopting confidential computing now are likely to be limited in their ability to switch to a different vendor if they are not satisfied with their current solution. And even if switching was possible, the costs of overhauling the existing system would be an additional source of discouragement.
Conclusion
While the adoption of confidential computing is expected to reshape enterprise data security in the coming years, it is not without its hurdles. As organizations embrace this cutting-edge approach, they must collaborate with industry stakeholders to address challenges and drive innovation, ensuring a secure and resilient future.
