SNIA on Cloud Storage

An Easy Path to Confidential Computing

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 Michael Hoard Leave a comment

To counter the ever-increasing likelihood of catastrophic disruption and cost due to enterprise IT security threats, data center decision makers need to be vigilant in protecting their organization’s data. Confidential Computing is architected to provide security for data in use to meet this critical need for enterprises today.

The next webcast in our Confidential Computing series is “How to Easily Deploy Confidential Computing.” It will provide insight into how data center, cloud and edge applications may easily benefit from cost-effective, real-world Confidential Computing solutions. This educational discussion on July 28, 2021 will provide end-user examples, tips on how to assess systems before and after deployment, as well as key steps to complete along the journey to mitigate threat exposure. Presenting will be Steve Van Lare (Anjuna), Anand Kashyap (Fortanix), and Michael Hoard (Intel), who will discuss:

Confidential Computing FAQ

June 25, 2021June 25, 2021 Jim Fister Leave a comment

Recently, the SNIA Cloud Storage Technologies Initiative (CSTI) I hosted a lively panel discussion “What is Confidential Computing and Why Should I Care?” It was the first in a 3-part series of Confidential Computing security discussions. You can learn about the series here. The webcast featured three experts who are working to define the Confidential Computing architecture, Mike Bursell of the Enarx Project, David Kaplan at AMD, and Ronald Perez from Intel.

This session served as an introduction to the concept of Confidential Computing and examined the technology and its initial uses. The audience asked several interesting questions. We’re answering some of the more basic questions here, as well as some that did not get addressed directly during the live event.

Q. What is Confidential Computing? How does it complement existing security efforts, such as the Trusted Platform Model (TPM)?

The Confidential Computing Webcast Series

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021 Jim Fister Leave a comment

The need for improved data security and privacy seems to grow bigger every day. The continuous attacks and bad actors from hackers and rogue governments are increasing the demand from businesses and consumers alike to make stronger data protection a top priority. In the midst of this need, Confidential Computing has emerged as a solution for stronger data security and is gaining traction from a variety of start-ups and established companies.

The SNIA Cloud Storage Technologies Initiative (CSTI) will be presenting a series of new webcasts on Confidential Computing. This three-part series will provide an introduction to Confidential Computing, dive into its unique approach for protecting data in use as well as use cases. I will be hosting the first discussion “What is Confidential Computing and Why Should I Care?” on June 9, 2021 featuring Mike Bursell, Co-founder, Enarx Project; David Kaplan of AMD and Ronald Perez at Intel – all members of the Confidential Computing Consortium. This panel discussion will detail the need for Confidential Computing, explain the technology basics, how it’s used, and why you should consider deploying some of these new concepts. These industry-expert panelists are the architects of Confidential Computing and they will be ready to take your questions. I encourage you to register today.

The second session “Confidential Compute: Protecting Data in Use” will follow two weeks later on June 23, 2021 with a focus on how Confidential Computing works in multi-tenant cloud environments and how sensitive data can be isolated from other privileged portions of the stack. It will also provide insight on applications in financial services, healthcare industries, and broader enterprise applications. Glyn Bowden of HPE will moderate this session with our expert presenters Paul O’Neill and Parviz Peiravi from Intel. You can register here for this session.

What is Confidential Computing?

May 17, 2021May 17, 2021 Jim Fister Leave a comment

While data security in the enterprise has never been for the faint of heart, the move to a more contiguous enterprise/cloud workflow as well as the increase in Edge data processing has significantly impacted the work (and the blood pressure) of security professionals. In the “arms race” of security, new defensive tactics are always needed. One significant approach is Confidential Computing: a technology that can isolate data and execution in a secure space on a system, which takes the concept of security to new levels. This SNIA Cloud Storage Technologies Initiative (CSTI) webcast “What is Confidential Computing and Why Should I Care?” will provide an introduction and explanation of Confidential Computing and will feature a panel of industry architects responsible for defining Confidential Compute. It will be a lively conversation on topics including:

Continuous Delivery Software Development Q&A

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Alex McDonald Leave a comment

What’s the best way to make a development team lean and agile? It was a question we explored at length during our SNIA Cloud Storage Technologies Initiative live webcast “Continuous Delivery: Cloud Software Development on Speed.” During this session, continuous delivery expert, Davis Frank, Co-creator of the Jasmine Test Framework, explained why product development teams are adopting a continuous delivery (CD) model. If you missed the live event, you can watch it on-demand here.

The webcast audience was highly engaged with this topic and asked some interesting questions. Here are Davis Frank’s answers:
Q. What are a few simple tests you can use to determine your team’s capability to deliver CD?

A. I would ask the team three questions:

Q&A on the Ethics of AI

March 25, 2021March 25, 2021 Jim Fister Leave a comment

Earlier this month, the SNIA Cloud Storage Technologies Initiative (CSTI) hosted an intriguing discussion on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our expert, Rob Enderle, Founder of The Enderle Group, and Eric Hibbard, Chair of the SNIA Security Technical Work Group, shared their experiences and insights on what it takes to keep AI ethical. If you missed the live event, it Is available on-demand along with the presentation slides at the SNIA Educational Library.

As promised during the live event, our experts have provided written answers to the questions from this session, many of which we did not have time to get to.

Q. The webcast cited a few areas where AI as an attacker could make a potential cyber breach worse, are there also some areas where AI as a defender could make cybersecurity or general welfare more dangerous for humans?

Continuous Delivery: Cloud Software Development on Speed

March 23, 2021March 23, 2021 Alex McDonald Leave a comment

It happens with more frequency these days. Two companies merge, and the IT departments breathe a small sigh of relief as they learn that they both use the same infrastructure software, though one is on-premises and one is in the cloud. Their relief slowly dissolves, as they discover that the cloud-provisioned workers are using features in the software that have yet to be integrated into the on-prem version. Now both have to adapt and it seems that no one is happy.

So, what’s the best way to get these versions in sync? A Continuous Delivery model is increasingly being adopted to get software development on a pace to keep up with business demands. The Continuous Delivery model results in a development organization that looks much like current manufacturing processes with effective workers, modern machines, and a just-in-time inventory. Even large software companies are starting to embrace this cloud delivery methodology to create a continuous stream of new revisions.

On April 20, 2021, the SNIA Cloud Storage Technologies Initiative will explore why Continuous Delivery is a valuable addition to the software development toolbox at our live webcast “Continuous Delivery: Cloud Software Development on Speed.”

By adapting some of the principles of modern manufacturing to software development, a Continuous Delivery methodology ensures that the product is streamlined in its feature set while building constant value to the customer via the cloud. Webcast attendees will learn: