Trust in Computer Systems and the Cloud

Learn to analyse and measure risk by exploring the nature of trust and its application to cybersecurity.

Trust in Computer Systems and the Cloud delivers an insightful and practical take on what it means to trust in the context of computer and network security, especially its impact on the emerging field of Confidential Computing. Author Mike Bursell’s experience, ranging from Chief Security Architect at Red Hat to CEO at a Confidential Computing start-up, grounds the reader in fundamental concepts of trust and related ideas before discussing more sophisticated applications of these concepts to various areas in computing.

The book demonstrates the importance of understanding and quantifying risk, drawing on the social and computer sciences to explain hardware and software security, complex systems, and open-source communities. It takes a detailed look at the impact of Confidential Computing on security, trust, and risk, and describes the emerging concept of trust domains, which provide an alternative to standard layered security.

• Foundational definitions of trust from sociology and other social sciences, how they evolved, and what modern concepts of trust mean to computer professionals.
• A comprehensive examination of the importance of systems, from open-source communities to HSMs, TPMs, and Confidential Computing with TEEs.
• A thorough exploration of trust domains, including explorations of communities of practice, the centralisation of control and policies, and monitoring.

Perfect for security architects at the CISSP level or higher, Trust in Computer Systems and the Cloud is also an indispensable addition to the libraries of system architects, security system engineers, and master’s students in software architecture and security.