Based on recent industry surveys, security is one of the primary issues that slows adoption of cloud computing. Cyber attacks have grown more sophisticated in the data center, as has the cost of a data breach, which on average cost $7.2M (US) in 2010.1 Comprehensive cloud security requires an uninterrupted chain from the application user interfaces to the underlying hardware, the “root of trust.”
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Securing your infrastructure
The advantages of cloud computing depend on the ability to easily move data, virtual machines, and applications from server to server within and across secure data centers. Establishing a trusted cloud environment is critical. Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT)2 addresses new cloud security threats, such as malware, by establishing a “hardware root of trust.” This helps:
- Protect against launch-time attacks
- Verify the platform trustworthiness
- Audit and monitor for security policy compliance
- Provide unprecedented visibility into the bottommost layers of the cloud
Protecting your data
With cloud computing pushing more data outside of traditional physical boundaries, encryption is becoming even more vital to data protection. Microprocessor instructions—called Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI)3 —included in the Intel® Xeon®–based servers dramatically reduce encryption overhead, which makes pervasive encryption possible for all of IT’s business-critical data and ultimately helps secure the enterprise.
Take a look at what your peers at Intel’s IT department have been exploring within cloud security, or view our latest related cloud security resources below. If you’re ready to add more efficient protection and data center security within your cloud-computing environment, turn to Intel Xeon–based servers.
