Islet is an open-source software project written in Rust that enables confidential computing on ARM architecture devices using the ARMv9 CCA. The primary objective of Islet is to enable on-device confidential computing and protect user privacy on end user devices.
While current confidential computing solutions mainly focus on server-side protection, it is equally important to safeguard user information at the user device level since that is where private data collection initially occurs. Furthermore, as more and more users rely on privacy apps such as private messengers, secure emails, password managers, and web browsers with privacy settings, there is a growing need to ensure privacy on user devices. Islet, an open-source project, addresses this need by providing a platform for ARM-based confidential computing.
Enabling CC on user devices will not only establish end-to-end CC throughout the entire data processing path, but it will also help create a secure computation model that enables processing of user private data on the user device using the same components that previously were employed at the server side without disclosing business logic. Furthermore, on-device confidential computing will be a key enabler for machine-to-machine computing without the need for server intervention
Islet provides a platform for running virtual machines (VMs) confidentially, with standard SDKs for easy integration with other confidential computing frameworks at upper layers. The platform consists of two key components: the Islet Realm Management Monitor (Islet-RMM) and Islet Hardware Enforced Security (Islet-HES).
Islet RMM
operates at EL2 in the Realm world on the application processor cores
and manages the confidential VMs, known as realms.Islet HES
performs device boot measurement, generates
platform attestation reports, and manages sealing key functionality within a secure
hardware IP apart from the main application processor.In designing Islet, we aim to to address the current security challenges in confidential computing technologies right from the very beginning. To ensure that our software is built with safety in mind, we have chosen to use the Rust programming language, known for its unique security model that ensures memory safety and concurrency safety. Moving forward, we also plan to incorporate formal verification techniques to further enhance the security of our design and implementation.
For more information, please visit our developer site.