Secure data processing

Abstract

A secure data processing apparatus and method are disclosed. The secure data processing apparatus is operable to securely process user data provided by a user. The secure data processing apparatus comprises: a trusted domain (200) comprising a trusted bus coupled with a trusted data processing apparatus (220) operable to process incoming user data received over the trusted bus and to generate outgoing user data; a trusted domain controller (210) coupling the trusted bus with an untrusted bus of an untrusted domain, the trusted domain controller (210) being operable to ensure that encrypted incoming user data received over the untrusted bus is decrypted and provided over the trusted bus as the incoming user data and to ensure that outgoing user data is encrypted and provided over the untrusted bus as encrypted outgoing data; and a data store access controller (250) coupling the trusted domain controller (210) and the trusted data processing apparatus (220) with a memory bus (60) of a data store (240), the data store access controller (250) being operable to restrict successful requests to use the data store (240) received from the trusted domain controller (210) and the trusted data processing apparatus (220) to those addressed to a trusted region of the data store (240). By providing a data store access controller (250), it is possible to constrain memory that can be accessed by each device operable to generate access cycles to a data store (240), and a trusted domain (200) can be implemented within a general computing system. The constraint can be implemented by interposing a special component, referred to as an "address firewall" (250), or data store access controller (250), between each hardware element able to access the main RAM memory (240) and a memory bus (60).

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to secure data processing apparatus and methods. Background technique [0002] For cloud computing models, in which computations and data are delivered to remote computers, a need has arisen for better protection of confidential data. In many cloud computing applications, the code sent to the remote computer in the cloud, the data to be remoted, and the data output from the remoting operation must be kept private. [0003] It should be understood that data and code could easily be encrypted during transmission to or from the remote computer. However, the user must trust the remote computer and its system administrator. [0004] System administrators often have access to data and code sent to remote computers. Additionally, untrustworthy potential malware could run on these remote systems and could gain access to data processed by the remote systems. [0005] Even when data and code are sent to a remote system in an enc...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0007] A security solution to the problem of providing trusted remote computing sites must be technically efficient, yet affordable from a practical and implementation standpoint

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