“The problem is that when you use the word trust, people think they know what you mean. It turns out that they almost never do. With this singular statement, Bursell has defined both the premise and the value he expounds in this insightful treatise spanning the fundamentals and complexities of digital trust. Operationalizing trust is foundational to effective human and machine digital relationships, with Bursell leading the reader on a purposeful journey expressing and consuming elements of digital trust across current and future-relevant data lifecycles.”
―Kurt Roemer, Chief Security Strategist and Office of the CTO, Citrix
“Trust is a matter of context. Specifically, “context” is one of the words most repeated in this book, and I must say that its use is justified in all cases. Not only is the meaning of trust is analysed in all possible contexts, including some essential philosophical and psychological foundations, but the concept is also applied to all possible ICT contexts, from basic processor instructions to cloud and edge infrastructures, and different trust frameworks are explored, from hierarchical (CAs) to distributed (DLTs) approaches. A must-read book to understand how one of the bases of human civilization can and must be applied in the digital world.”
―Dr. Diego R. Lopez, Head of Technology Exploration, Telefonica and Chair of ETSI blockchain initiative
“Trust is a complex and important concept in network security. Bursell neatly unpacks it in this detailed and readable book.”
―Bruce Schneier, author of Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust Society Needs to Thrive
“As we have moved to the digital society, appreciating what and what not to trust is paramount if you use computer systems and/or the Cloud. You will be well prepared when you have read this book.”
―Professor Peter Landrock, D.Sc. (hon), Founder of Cryptomathic
“This book needs to be on every technologist’s and engineer’s bookshelf. Combining storytelling and technology, Bursell has shared with all of us the knowledge we need to build trust and security in a cloud computing environment.”
―Steve Kolombaris, CISO & Cyber Security Leader with 20+ years’ experience, formerly Apple, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America
“A must-read book to understand how one of the bases of human civilization can and must be applied in the digital world.”
— Dr. Diego R. Lopez, Head of Technology Exploration, Telefonica and Chair of ETSI blockchain initiative
“As we have moved to the digital society, appreciating what and what not to trust is paramount if you use computer systems and/or the Cloud. You will be well prepared when you have read this book.”
— Professor Peter Landrock, D.Sc. (hon), Founder of Cryptomathic
A groundbreaking exploration of trust, risk, and security
Trust is a central concept in computer software and hardware, but it remains poorly defined and even less understood. Many information technology professionals operate without an overarching, theory-based understanding of what trust is, how it is built, or how it is shared between computer systems and users.
In Trust in Computer Systems and the Cloud, renowned security expert Mike Bursell delivers an insightful and compelling treatment of how trust can be discussed, defined, and managed in many areas of computing. By anchoring his sophisticated, but approachable, exploration of the topic in the concept of understanding and quantifying risk, the author walks readers through the basic ideas of trust and the applications of trust to complex systems, open-source communities, and trust domains.
The book draws on recent scholarship in the social and computer sciences to explain contemporary trends in hardware and software security while maintaining a tight focus on pragmatic applications in computing. It serves as a practical starting point for decisions and discussions about trust, security, and risk. This approach establishes the core trust principles underlying Confidential Computing and introduces cross-disciplinary frameworks on which readers can build powerful new computing and cloud applications.
From the Back Cover
“A must-read book to understand how one of the bases of human civilization can and must be applied in the digital world.”
― Dr. Diego R. Lopez, Head of Technology Exploration, Telefonica and Chair of ETSI blockchain initiative
“As we have moved to the digital society, appreciating what and what not to trust is paramount if you use computer systems and/or the Cloud. You will be well prepared when you have read this book.”
― Professor Peter Landrock, D.Sc. (hon), Founder of Cryptomathic
A groundbreaking exploration of trust, risk, and security
Trust is a central concept in computer software and hardware, but it remains poorly defined and even less understood. Many information technology professionals operate without an overarching, theory-based understanding of what trust is, how it is built, or how it is shared between computer systems and users.
In Trust in Computer Systems and the Cloud, renowned security expert Mike Bursell delivers an insightful and compelling treatment of how trust can be discussed, defined, and managed in many areas of computing. By anchoring his sophisticated, but approachable, exploration of the topic in the concept of understanding and quantifying risk, the author walks readers through the basic ideas of trust and the applications of trust to complex systems, open-source communities, and trust domains.
The book draws on recent scholarship in the social and computer sciences to explain contemporary trends in hardware and software security while maintaining a tight focus on pragmatic applications in computing. It serves as a practical starting point for decisions and discussions about trust, security, and risk. This approach establishes the core trust principles underlying Confidential Computing and introduces cross-disciplinary frameworks on which readers can build powerful new computing and cloud applications.
About the Author
MIKE BURSELL is CEO and co-founder of Profian, a Confidential Computing company. He holds multiple security patents, is a sought-after speaker at global technology conferences, and has contributed to major reports and security specifications for the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.