"U-M Spin-off Agita Labs Releases Always Encrypted Computing Product"

TrustForge, which is based on University of Michigan (U-M) research, enables users to protect data using a process known as sequestered encryption. As computing capabilities expand exponentially, so do the threats to private and professional users concerned about their data security. With the increased popularity of cloud-based storage and increased avenues for hackers to infiltrate seemingly secure systems, advancements in cybersecurity are critical to keeping up with threats of data breaches. Agita Labs, a U-M spin-off computer security startup, has announced the launch of its latest venture in secure computing, TrustForge, on Microsoft Azure Cloud. TrustForge allows users to upload data to the cloud while maintaining complete control over who can see and process it. Both the data and the decryption keys are always encrypted, keeping them safe from attackers, developers, and IT personnel. TrustForge is said to be a low-overhead alternative to fully homomorphic encryption, which requires more intensive mathematical computations to mask user activity. According to Agita Labs, TrustForge operates as a service designed to house sensitive data such as healthcare or financial information using a hardware-based cryptographic wall. TrustForge's sequestered encryption technology, designed by and for programmers, is based on a hardware feature known as a sequestered enclave, which protects data by performing computations with hidden inputs and outputs, ensuring that outside sources have no access to private information. Therefore, TrustForge is so secure that not even Agita Labs could decrypt the data it is processing. This article continues to discuss the goals and capabilities of TrustForge. 

U-M reports "U-M Spin-off Agita Labs Releases Always Encrypted Computing Product"