Cohesity Brings Intel Confidential Computing Capabilities to Data Cloud

Cohesity, Inc. is collaborating with Intel Corp. to bring Intel’s confidential computing capabilities to its Data Cloud.

Leveraged with Fort Knox, the company’s cyber vault service, this data-in-use encryption innovation will be the 1st of its kind in the data management industry.

Together, the 2 companies are solving one of the most pressing cybersecurity challenges for CIOs. Traditionally, options have been limited for protecting data in use while it is actively processed in memory, which can leave data unencrypted and vulnerable to insider attacks. Confidential computing enabled by Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX) will support Cohesity customers to reduce the risk posed by potential bad actors accessing data while it is being processed in main memory. This is especially critical for highly regulated industries like financial institutions, healthcare, and government.

The firm’s platform, Data Cloud, has long included many proven and cutting-edge technologies to help the world’s largest organizations manage and secure their most critical data from cyber criminals. The 2 companies are joining forces to reduce customers’ risk of cyber threat by: 

• Creating a solution that will protect encryption keys that secure customer data in a hardware-secured environment leveraging Intel SGX for confidential computing in the cloud.

• Solution reduces the risk posed by data exfiltration, as the data is not viewable or downloadable by any privileged accounts when the data is being processed in memory as it is encrypted. 

• Providing a way for Cohesity customers to verify that their Intel SGX is legitimate by using Intel Trust Authority, which has the latest patches and only runs the dedicated Cohesity application before extracting the data encryption key.

“We are relentlessly focused on innovation that furthers our mission: To protect, secure, and provide insights into the world’s data. Collaborations with the biggest and most trusted names in tech, like Intel, are the reason why the largest global enterprises rely on us to strengthen their business resilience,” said Sanjay Poonen, CEO and president, Cohesity. “With Intel SGX, Intel Trust Authority, and confidential computing, our customers will benefit from reduced risk and increased security in cloud environments, allowing them to focus on what really matters, their business.”

“Intel is a pioneer and leader in data center confidential computing technologies, enabling customers, especially those handling sensitive or highly regulated data, to address their needs of confidentiality, integrity, and attestation for their workloads,” said Greg Lavender, EVP and CTO, Intel. “Cohesity’s adoption of our technology reflects the growing customer need to protect critical data in the cloud and advances our common goal of delivering a secure computing environment combined with the trust customers expect.”