ARM's Answer To Cloud Security Vulnerability
Over the past several months, countless questions have arisen regarding the effectiveness of security within the cloud storage industry. This is due primarily to the direct admission of PRISM by the office of the director of National Intelligence. The main claim was that the U.S. government, using a data spy program called PRISM, had unrestricted access to the data of these major online corporations with their consent. While major technology companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook have strongly denied these accusations, and there is evidence to prove they are telling the truth (technically/legally speaking), news of a mass exile from cloud storage, social networks and search engines were being discussed.
The initial response was far greater than the current outcries however in an effort to combat conspiracy theories and potential loss of business, these major tech firms have started providing improved security tools for their customers.
But will it really help? Google recently announced an upgraded level of encryption (128-bit), free of charge, to their cloud storage platform. While this will benefit clients who want to protect their customer data, it will not help individual users as their data is shared by these clients.
However, chip manufacturer ARM has come up with a solution that would allow private users to have direct control over their data security by using a microcontroller. Microcontrollers are used in every day products such as toys but they are also used by large financial institutions that depend on their security. These security features that microcontrollers provide can also be used for cloud security. Moreover, it is said to be extremely inexpensive. In an interview with Forbes magazine, ARM’s CTO Mike Muller explained, “A microcontroller can cost less than a dollar, but it can do it all — it could be the basis of a trusted system.”
No word has been given on a timeframe for such a move however if and when ARM follows through, this could potentially lead the cloud industry into uncharted territory as people will have absolute trust when it comes to the security of their data.
