In a move towards fortifying digital security, Intel has unveiled its attestation service as the inaugural offering of its new security software and services portfolio, named Intel Trust Authority. Previously recognized by its codename Project Amber, this service provides a consolidated, unbiased evaluation of secure enclave integrity, policy enforcement, and audit records in any environment where Confidential Computing is deployed, including cloud, hybrid, on-premises, and edge environments.
How does this technology work?
The Intel Trust Authority functions by executing computations within a hardware-based trusted execution environment (TEE). Confidential data is only released to the TEE once it has been confirmed as trustworthy, ensuring an added layer of protection.
In line with Zero Trust principles, Intel Trust Authority separates the assessment of infrastructure trustworthiness from the infrastructure provider. In its initial release, the service verifies Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) enabled by Intel® Software Guard Extensions (Intel® SGX) and Intel® Trust Domain Extensions (Intel® TDX). The ultimate vision is to extend this assurance to the entirety of the digital ecosystem.
Impact of Intel Trust Authority on enterprises
Integrating Intel Trust Authority into a Zero Trust architecture enables enterprises in the following ways:
- Enhances Security Posture: Continuously verifies trust, mitigates risks associated with compromised assets, and maintains compliance with security policies, thereby strengthening the security of assets across the organization.
- Simplifies Management: Centralizes the attestation process across different deployment models, eliminating the need for customized attestation solutions for each environment. The SaaS also guarantees high availability, with uptime of at least 99.95%, and swift attestation response times.
- Ensures Consistency: Maintains a uniform level of trust verification irrespective of the underlying infrastructure, ensuring that assets remain secure regardless of their location.
- Futureproofs Businesses: As the digital ecosystem evolves, Intel Trust Authority’s vision extends beyond current technologies. Organizations adopting it today align themselves with a service that will adapt and extend to secure future innovations.
Thales and Zscaler became early adopters of Intel Trust Authority
Organizations have already started reaping the benefits of Intel Trust Authority. Thales is leveraging the service to enhance its CipherTrust Security platform, validating the integrity of its TEEs. Additionally, cybersecurity frontrunner Zscaler is expanding its Zero Trust approach from silicon to the cloud, bolstered by the added assurance of Intel Trust Authority. In a collaborative effort, Nvidia will join forces with Intel to offer attestation services for Nvidia H100 GPUs through Intel TDX and the Intel Trust Authority attestation service.
Subscriptions for Intel Trust Authority are now available at intel.com/trustauthority, or by directly contacting Intel.
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