Abstract: A device is provisioned and authorized for use on a network. The device may be required to generate a cryptographic key and provide a digital certificate the cryptographic key, a hardware identifier, and attribute information to an authorization host as part of the provisioning process. The authorization host may use attribute information to determine whether to authorize the device for use on the network, and whether the generated cryptographic key should be trusted for use on the network.

Abstract: A multi-tenant trusted platform module (MTTPM) is attached to a communication bus of a virtualization host. The MTTPM includes a plurality of per-guest-virtual-machine (per-GVM) memory location sets. In response to an indication of a first trusted computing request (TCR) associated with a first GVM of a plurality of GVMs instantiated at the virtualization host, a first memory location of a first per-GVM memory location set is accessed to generate a first response indicative of a configuration of the first GVM. In response to an indication of a second TCR associated with a second GVM, a second memory location of a second-per-GVM memory location set is accessed to generate a second response, wherein the second response is indicative of a different configuration of the second GVM.

Abstract: Approaches are described for enabling a host computing device to store credentials and other security information useful for recovering the state of the host computing device in a secure store, such as a trusted platform module (TPM) on the host computing device. When recovering the host computing device in the event of a failure (e.g., power outage, network failure, etc.), the host computing device can obtain the necessary credentials from the secure store and use those credentials to boot various services, restore the state of the host and perform various other functions. In addition, the secure store (e.g., TPM) may provide boot firmware measurement and remote attestation of the host computing devices to other devices on a network, such as when the recovering host needs to communicate with the other devices on the network.

Abstract: A computing device has a processor and a first memory, e.g., a fuse-based memory, storing a first cryptographic key. The processor is configured to receive information related to a second cryptographic key from a cryptographic key provisioning system. The processor derives the second cryptographic key from the information related to a second cryptographic key. The first cryptographic key has fewer bits than the second cryptographic key. The processor is also configured to encrypt the second cryptographic key using the first cryptographic key, and store the encrypted second cryptographic key in a second memory, e.g., a flash memory.

Abstract: Techniques are described for injecting noise in a timer value provided to an instruction requesting the timer value. A plurality of tasks may execute on a processor, wherein the processor may comprise one or more processing cores and each task may include a plurality of computer executable instructions. In accordance with one technique for injecting noise in the timer value, a request for a first timer value is received by one or more computer executable instructions belonging to a first task from the plurality of tasks, and in response, a second timer value is provided to the first task instead of the first timer value, wherein the second timer value is derived from the first timer value and a random number.

Abstract: A computing device includes a processor and a persistent memory for storing information about a first public key associated with a first asymmetric key pair for authenticating the source of a digital certificate. The computing device also includes a second memory for storing one or more current key version indicators. Each of the current key version indicators is associated with a corresponding secondary public key, and the one or more current key version indicators are used by the processor to determine the trust of the corresponding secondary public key.

Abstract: Techniques are described for accumulating unused computing resources. The techniques may involve associating, with a task, a baseline amount of a computing resource for each time interval of a predetermined number of time intervals, and monitoring a consumption of the computing resource by the task in each time interval. Resource credits can be accumulated based on an unused amount of the computing resource during at least some of the time intervals. When a workload of the task consumes more than the baseline amount of the computing resource, the accumulated resource credits can be applied to allocate an additional amount of the computing resource to the task. A proportionate additional amount of a memory resource can also be allocated to the task.

Abstract: Approaches are described for updating code and/or instructions in one or more computing devices. In particular, various embodiments provide approaches for updating the microcode of one or more processors of a computing device without requiring a restart of the computing device and without disrupting the various components (e.g., applications, virtual machines, etc.) executing on the computing device. The microcode updates can be performed on host computing devices deployed in a resource center of a service provider (e.g., cloud computing service provider), where each host computing device may be executing a hypervisor hosting multiple guest virtual machines (or other guest applications) for the customers of the service provider.

Abstract: A virtualized system that is capable of executing a computation that has been identified as a repeatable computation and recording various representations of the state of the computing environment throughout the execution of the repeatable computation, where the state of the computing environment can be cryptographically signed and/or verified using a trusted platform module (TPM), or other cryptographic module. For example, a TPM embedded in the host computing device may generate a hash measurement that captures the state of the repeatable computation at the time of the computation. This measurement can be digitally signed using one or more cryptographic keys of the TPM and recorded for future use. The recorded state can subsequently be used to repeat the computation and/or determine whether the computation was repeated successfully according to certain defined criteria.

Abstract: Anomalous behavior in a multi-tenant computing environment may be identified by analyzing hardware sensor value data associated with hardware events on a host machine. A privileged virtual machine instance executing on a host machine acquires hardware sensor values and causes the values to be compared to other hardware sensor value data that may be indicative of anomalous behavior; for example, various threshold values, patterns, and/or signatures of hardware counter values generated by analyzing and correlating hardware event counter data. In this manner, potential anomalous behavior on an instance may be determined without having to access customer data or workloads associated with the instance.

Abstract: A computing device includes a processor and a persistent memory for storing information about a first public key associated with a first asymmetric key pair for authenticating the source of a digital certificate. The computing device also includes a second memory for storing one or more current certificate version indicators, each associated with a corresponding digital certificate, and the version indicator is used by the processor to determine the trust of the corresponding digital certificate.

Abstract: A graph of a plurality of resources in a computing environment is generated, with the graph associating a first resource of the plurality with a second resource of the plurality. Based at least in part on measurements obtained at a point in a test computing environment that corresponds to a point in the computing environment, a graph representing the relationship between the first resource and the second resource is generated. A threat model identifying potential risks to the computing environment is created from the graph.

Abstract: A method for implementing network security policies in a multi-tenant network environment may include receiving a request for implementation of at least one network security policy on one or more computing devices of a service provider cloud environment. The network security policy identified by the request may be retrieved. The network security policy may be encrypted using encrypting credentials of the one or more computing devices. Decrypting credentials corresponding to the encrypting credentials are stored in a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) within the one or more computing devices. The encrypted network security policy may be pushed to the one or more computing devices, for decryption and implementation at the one or more computing devices.

Abstract: In a cloud environment, each host computer can have its own security service processor with an independent network interface for communicating with a remote server over a network. The security service processor can provide remote management and security functionalities for various devices connected using different buses on a platform in each host computer. The security service processor can provide a centralized mechanism to verify and authenticate firmware updates for various devices using different buses. A hardware interface can allow the security service processor to provide remote debugging and diagnostic capabilities. The security service processor can also provide some of the typical functionalities of a baseboard management controller or can be used in addition to the baseboard management controller.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a computing infrastructure for configurable-quality random data are disclosed. A storage medium stores program instructions that when executed on a processor designate some servers of a provider network as members of a pool of producers of random data usable by random data consumers. The instructions, when executed, determine a subset of the pool to be used to supply a collection of random data intended for a random data consumer, and one or more sources of random phenomena to be used to generate the collection of random data. The instructions, when executed, initiate a transmission of the collection of random data directed to the random data consumer.

Abstract: Anomalous behavior in a multi-tenant computing environment may be identified by analyzing hardware sensor value data associated with hardware events on a host machine. A privileged virtual machine instance executing on a host machine acquires hardware sensor values and causes the values to be compared to other hardware sensor value data that may be indicative of anomalous behavior; for example, various threshold values, patterns, and/or signatures of hardware counter values generated by analyzing and correlating hardware event counter data. In this manner, potential anomalous behavior on an instance may be determined without having to access customer data or workloads associated with the instance.

Abstract: Techniques are described for allocating resources to a task from a shared hardware structure. A plurality of tasks may execute on a processor, wherein the processor may include one or more processing cores and each task may include a plurality of computer executable instructions. In accordance with one technique for allocating resources to a task from a shared hardware structure amongst multiple tasks, aspects of the disclosure describe assigning a first identifier to a first task from the plurality of tasks, associating a portion of the shared hardware resource with the first identifier, and restricting access and/or observability for computer executable instructions executed from any other task than the first task to the portion of the hardware resource associated with the first identifier.

Abstract: A computing device has a processor and a persistent memory, e.g., a fuse-based memory, storing two or more reduced sets of information. The processor is configured to derive a first cryptographic key using a first reduced set of information, e.g., prime numbers, and to use the first cryptographic key for performing cryptographic operations. The processor is also configured to detect a trigger event and, in response to the detected trigger event, derive a second cryptographic key using a second reduced set of information. The processor can then use the second cryptographic key for performing cryptographic operations.

Abstract: Approaches to enable the configuration of computing resources for executing virtual machines on behalf of users to be cryptographically attested to or verified. When a user requests a virtual machine to be provisioned, an operator of the virtualized computing environment can initiate a two phase launch of the virtual machine. In the first phase, the operator provisions the virtual machine on a host computing device and obtains cryptographic measurements of the software and/or hardware resources on the host computing device. The operator may then provide those cryptographic measurements to the user that requested the virtual machine. If the user approves the cryptographic measurements, the operator may proceed with the second phase and actually launch the virtual machine on the host. In some cases, operator may compare the cryptographic measurements to a list of approved measurements to determine whether the host computing device is acceptable for hosting the virtual machine.

Abstract: A graph of a plurality of resources in a computing environment is generated, with the graph associating a first resource of the plurality with a second resource of the plurality. Based at least in part on measurements obtained at a point in a test computing environment that corresponds to a point in the computing environment, an expected value or expected range of values is determined. An assessment of a security state of the computing environment is generated based at least in part on a comparison between a measurement obtained at the point in the computing environment and the expected value or expected range of values, and responsive to a determination that the assessment indicates a rule violation in the computing environment, a security action is performed.