iExec, a distributed computing power marketplace based in Lyon, France, has unveiled its end-to-end confidential execution environment. iExec developers describe the technology as “the first Intel SGX scalable solution for businesses to achieve privacy and security in blockchain-based computing.”
Intel SGX, which stands for Software Guard Extensions, is a famous architectural extension introduced in 2015. It is designed to enhance the security and data of the application code. As explained on Intel’s website, Intel SGX provides protection by using “enclaves” that are isolated memory regions created within the CPU. These areas safeguard data from processes at all levels, along with the operating system.
According to the Medium blog of iExec, enclaves are paradigm shift in the world of cloud computing. “Thanks to the security they offer, anyone is able to run applications on any computer without the fear of disclosing sensitive data to a third party.”
Enclaves function as “a bubble or a safe,” shielding and segregating a software from a host machine. The iExec news release states “Even the root privilege administrator of the host machine is not able to penetrate this bubble to access and tamper with the application.”
In May 2018, iExec launched its cloud computing power marketplace as a commodity. According to iExec, one of the most significant technologies for building an effective decentralized cloud infrastructure, apart from blockchain, is a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), such as Intel SGX.
The decentralized structure of iExec ‘s cloud computing network intends to ensure security. Users with root privileges will never be able to examine confidential data or manipulate the application running on the decentralized host. iExec is working on its software solution utilizing Intel SGX, in collaboration with Scontain UG, a software development company based in Dresden, Germany.
The news release also states that the latest solution is offered as “the first-ever complete toolkit including Software Development Kit (SDK) and technical documentation, for businesses to easily employ Intel SGX enclaves to ensure the end-to-end protection of any blockchain product.”
The company stressed that “end-to-end” confidentiality is guaranteed, which implies that even though Decentralized Applications (DApps) are handled on decentralized nodes, they can under no circumstances be reviewed by someone other than the end client. iExec presented this latest solution at the Devcon4 conference, one of the largest gatherings for Ethereum’s block chain programmers and researchers.
Furthermore, iExec plans to build a fresh concept for cloud computing: an international open market where computing power is “traded like a commodity.”
The company says that the iExec marketplace permits applications developers to fetch on demand reasonably priced, safe and scalable computing power. Every deal between buyers and sellers is verified and certified by the Contribution Proof algorithm, which checks each off-chain calculation.
At present, iExec is creating the iExec V3, where the marketplace will develop beyond cloud trading to integrate dataset trading. According to the company, iExec provides developers with toolkits for the construction of decentralized apps on a network of nodes with extreme security and scalability.
