28.Lock Globe

Microsoft is taking advantage of hardware-based security features in AMD's Epyc processors for its confidential containers running in Azure, as part of its push into confidential computing.

Confidential containers on Azure Container Instances (ACI), Microsoft's serverless confidential computing platform, were released to limited preview in May 2022 and this week the company moved them into public preview, giving a wider range of organizations access. 

The service makes use of the Secure Encrypted Virtualization and Secure Nested Paging (SEV-SNP) technology in AMD's server chips to secure containerized Linux workloads.

"Azure customers are increasingly turning to cloud-native, container-based applications to support their workloads," Peter Pogorski, senior product manager for Azure Container, wrote in a blog post. "However, these customers are also seeking cloud hosting options that offer the highest levels of data protection, which often require complex infrastructure management and expertise."