Abstract: The present invention relates to a secure component for protecting data in a storage entity and a method at the secure component of protecting data in the storage entity. Further, the present invention relates to a secure domain manager for securely associating a communicating party with a storage domain and a method at the secure domain manager of securely associating the communicating party with the storage domain. Moreover, the present invention relates to a trusted third party for verifying correctness of a launch package created by a secure domain manager to securely associate a communicating party with a storage domain and a method at the trusted third party to verify correctness of the launch package created by the secure domain manager to securely associate the communicating party with the storage domain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a secure component for protecting data in a storage entity and a method at the secure component of protecting data in the storage entity. Further, the present invention relates to a secure domain manager for securely associating a communicating party with a storage domain and a method at the secure domain manager of securely associating the communicating party with the storage domain. Moreover, the present invention relates to a trusted third party for verifying correctness of a launch package created by a secure domain manager to securely associate a communicating party with a storage domain and a method at the trusted third party to verify correctness of the launch package created by the secure domain manager to securely associate the communicating party with the storage domain.

Abstract: In a method of provisioning a virtual machine (VM) to a computing network (401), a VM manager or provisioner (403, 408) encrypts a virtual machine using a key bound to at least one security profile indicative of one or more security requirements that a computing resource (402) of the computing network (401) must satisfy in order to be able to decrypt the VM. A key for use in decrypting the VM has previously been sealed into multiple (and preferably into all) computing resources (402) in the network into which the VM is to be provisioned, and has been sealed such that a computing resource can obtain the key only if it is in a state that satisfies the security profile, or at least one security profile, to which the key is bound The VM manager or provisioner (403, 408) creates a VM launch package that includes the encrypted VM and that also includes a key that may be used in decrypting the encrypted VM.