Trusted Execution Environments
Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) are secure, isolated areas within a processor that protect code and data from unauthorized access, even from privileged software like the operating system or hypervisor. They enable confidential computing by ensuring that sensitive computations are performed in a protected environment, with hardware-based security guarantees. TEEs are used to safeguard cryptographic keys, sensitive algorithms, and private data in cloud computing, mobile devices, and IoT applications.
Developers should learn about TEEs when building applications that require high security for sensitive data processing, such as financial transactions, healthcare data handling, or secure multi-party computation. They are essential for implementing confidential computing in cloud environments, where data must be protected from cloud providers and other tenants, and for securing edge devices in IoT systems against physical and software attacks.