Jan 30, 2021
DIA leverages IBM’s Hyper Protect to bring Confidential Computing to Oracles
As one of the first corporate entrants into the blockchain and crypto-sphere, IBM has been at the forefront of developing solutions that bolster security for its users on all levels. One of the latest innovations to enter the DeFi market is IBM’s tamper-proof virtual hosting service, Hyper Protect.
The IBM public cloud is the industry’s most secure and open public clouds for business. IBM LinuxONE and IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services provide customers with innovative security features. The service’s ‘Keep Your Own Key’ workload isolation encryption capabilities backed by FIPS 140–2 Level 4 certification and its tamper protection from privileged user access and encryption of all data at-rest and in-flight makes it the ideal hosting solution for DIA’s on-chain/off-chain hybrid server architecture.
Hyper Protect ensure data integrity and confidentiality
In simplified terms, Hyper Protect employs encrypted chips to run its cloud software, enabling “confidential computing”. The setup ensures confidentiality of computing operations as well as as ensuring data integrity. A secure server hardware architecture bars non-key-holders from accessing or viewing any computing operations that take place off-chain. This effectively mitigates the risk of actors tampering with the operations running on Hyper Protect servers or even read it to enjoy information advantages — both internally and externally.
With IBM Hyper Protect, we are able to protect our modularised backend infrastructure entirely against attacks on the hardware and server layer. Compared to traditional cloud solutions, the augmented security layer protects our data while deploying and operating our services.
“IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services, confidential computing capabilities and IBM LinuxONE enable us to help implement a high security standard in the oracle landscape,” says Samuel Brack Co-Founder and CTO at DIA. “Being able to assure that no third party can view or manipulate our off-chain computing operations effectively protects DIA and its users from potential malicious inside and outside attacks.”
Following the implementation of Hyper Protect with the likes of business-focussed Blockchain consortium R3, the integration with DIA marks a step towards improving data security in the DeFi ecosystem.
“As reliance on data grows, especially in the era of hybrid cloud, the need for cutting-edge security to protect digital assets becomes even more critical,” said Hillery Hunter, IBM Fellow, VP & CTO, IBM Cloud. “On its mission to source and validate financial data, DIA’s move toward a confidential computing environment bolsters security for all existing participants within its ecosystem. Now, DIA can work with clients in highly regulated industries and address their higher demand for confidentiality as they access their open source financial information platform.”
We continue to explore opportunities to increase security, scalability and compliance of data delivery for both institutional and DeFi actors.
