Confidential computing

Confidential computing is a security and <a href="/facts/Privacy-enhancing_technologies/2v8rvT4l">privacy-enhancing computational technique</a> focused on protecting <a href="/facts/Data_in_use/Xu6cPl7m">data in use</a>. Confidential computing can be used in conjunction with storage and network encryption, which protect <a href="/facts/Data_at_rest/H1DF7h8a">data at rest</a> and <a href="/facts/Data_in_transit/8f1ztg6C">data in transit</a> respectively. It is designed to address software, protocol, cryptographic, and basic physical and supply-chain attacks, although some critics have demonstrated architectural and <a href="/facts/Side-channel_attack/2B1dfBty">side-channel attacks</a> effective against the technology.
The technology protects data in use by performing computations in a hardware-based <a href="/facts/Trusted_execution_environment/CAvpc5xs">trusted execution environment</a> (TEE). Confidential data is released to the TEE only once it is assessed to be trustworthy. Different types of confidential computing define the level of data isolation used, whether <a href="/facts/Virtual_machine/BLevU3sx">virtual machine</a>, <a href="/facts/Application_software/YQuj7Kog">application</a>, or <a href="/facts/Function_(computer_programming)/9vFJrg0A">function</a>, and the technology can be deployed in on-premise data centers, edge locations, or the public cloud. It is often compared with other privacy-enhancing computational techniques such as <a href="/facts/Fully_homomorphic_encryption/pbfGnqBn">fully homomorphic encryption</a>, <a href="/facts/Secure_multi-party_computation/7xJbbvIo">secure multi-party computation</a>, and <a href="/facts/Trusted_Computing/RRDzNIRl">Trusted Computing</a>.
Confidential computing is promoted by the Confidential Computing Consortium (CCC) industry group, whose membership includes major providers of the technology.

Confidential computing open-in-new

Confidential computing