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Transformative Potential of Confidential Computing to be Explored in SC24 Birds of a Feather Session

By Adam Hughes

Nov 12, 2024 | News

Industry Experts to Discuss Confidential Computing’s Role in Secure Collaboration and Innovation

Sylabs, in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories, will host a Birds of a Feather (BoF) session at SC24 titled Integrating Confidential Computing into High-Performance Cloud Workflows. This interactive session is designed to introduce confidential computing—a cutting-edge approach to securing data while it’s actively in use, not just at rest or in transit. Attendees will learn how Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) enable confidential computing to safeguard sensitive information even in shared or cloud-based environments. With insights on how this technology enhances security, enables safe multi-party collaboration, and streamlines resource use, the session aims to equip participants with a clear understanding of how confidential computing can be applied within HPC workflow

The session will be co-led by Andrew Younge, Manager of Scalable Computer Architectures at Sandia National Laboratories, and Sylabs CTO Adam Hughes. Younge, a recognized leader in high performance computing (HPC) systems, brings expertise in designing scalable architectures that address complex security and performance needs. Hughes, a pioneer in data-centric security solutions, is advancing Sylabs’ development of confidential computing technology designed to provide robust data protection and flexible deployment across various environments. Together, they will guide attendees through the strategic value of confidential computing, illustrating how it not only protects data during active processing but also optimizes resource efficiency and facilitates secure collaboration across sensitive data environments. They will be joined by panelists including CJ Newburn, Distinguished Engineer in the Compute Software Group at NVIDIA, Eric Van Hensbergen, Fellow in the Architecture & Technology Group at Arm, and Jack Lange, Senior HPC Systems Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“Confidential computing is an emerging game-changer for modern infrastructure, allowing organizations to do more with less,” said Younge. “By securely processing data across different security profiles within a single system, confidential computing can potentially eliminate the costly and complex need for isolated networks. This capability not only reduces costs but also enables multi-party collaboration on sensitive data—something traditionally constrained by security limitations. With mounting demands across government and enterprise for scalable, secure solutions, confidential computing is quickly becoming an essential tool for achieving resource-efficient, interconnected infrastructure.”
“Confidential computing has the potential to redefine secure collaboration, opening up transformative opportunities to protect and leverage sensitive data in ways previously unimagined,” said Hughes. “By enabling organizations to process sensitive information together without exposing it, confidential computing introduces a paradigm shift for utility in AI across virtually every discipline. As this technology matures, it could unlock powerful new use cases for processing sensitive data securely, inspiring new avenues of innovation across industries—all without compromising privacy.”

About the Session

The BoF session will feature brief introductory presentations, a moderated panel discussion, and an open Q&A to engage participants in exploring the emerging field of confidential computing. Topics include:

  • Introduction to Confidential Computing: A look into Trusted Execution Environments and their evolving role in enhancing security across cloud-based and on-premises HPC environments.
  • Performance Considerations: Addressing the performance impacts, trade-offs, and recent advancements that make secure HPC systems more efficient.
  • Use Cases in Multi-Party Computing: Real-world applications across finance, government, and healthcare that showcase how confidential computing enables secure collaboration on sensitive data.
  • Future Directions: A forward-looking discussion on emerging research areas, challenges, and the transformative potential of confidential computing for innovation across industries.

Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and insights to this collaborative session. For additional details about the session and registration, visit the SC24 website.

About Sylabs

Sylabs is the global leader in providing professional tools and services for high performance container runtime technology. Sylabs makes high performance computing more accessible to researchers, scientists, and engineers using Singularity, the most advanced open source container runtime technology for performance-intensive applications and environments. As the most active contributor to the Singularity ecosystem, through both the community edition and Sylabs’ enterprise-supported and professional implementations, Sylabs is dedicated to enabling cutting-edge research and facilitating rapid scientific discovery to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges. For more information about Singularity runtime technology, including SingularityCE (Community Edition), Singularity Container Services, SingularityPRO, and Singularity Enterprise, visit https://www.sylabs.io.

Media Inquiries:

Isaac Lopez
OmniScale Media
360-576-5475
isaac@omniscalemedia.com

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