Confidential Computing Using Trusted Execution Environments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63282/3050-9416.IJAIBDCMS-V4I2P111Keywords:
Confidential Computing, Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), Intel SGX, ARM TrustZone, AMD SEV, RISC-V Keystone, Data-in-Use Protection, Side-Channel AttacksAbstract
In the current digital systems that are becoming extremely complex and distributed, it is pertinent to argue that data security at all stages of its existence has become a major concern. Data in use during computations is more prone to unauthorized access and tampering compared with the other two, and most likely in untrusted scenarios like public clouds and edge devices. Confidential computing fills this gap through computing in hardware-based Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), which provide strictly isolated run-time access, code integrity, and data confidentiality. This paper will give an in-depth introduction to confidential computing with emphasis on TEEs such as Intel SGX, ARM TrustZone, AMD SEV, and RISC-V Keystone. It discusses their models of operation, their protection assurances, and makes comparisons with their performance standards. Technical cases involving cloud computing, privacy-preserving machine learning, secure data analytics, blockchain and other spheres of critical importance, such as finance and healthcare, are surveyed to showcase the immense potential of TEEs. Furthermore, the paper comments on some of the drawbacks at present, such as performance overhead, the threat of side channels, scalability issues, and regulatory challenges. The emerging trends in integration with zero-trust architectures, the TEE design, and hybrid integration of TEEs with cryptographic solutions are reviewed, as well. In this analysis, the paper at hand seeks to clarify the current contributions of TEEs in defining the future of secure and privacy-aware computing within a globally interconnected ecosystem
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