Abstract

Software running on modern client systems has become too large and complex to secure via conventional means, making it an easy target for malware. This talk discusses how hardware-assisted virtualization can be used to retrofit robust isolation and protection to client systems, resulting in a much more defensible platform with much greater resistance to malware and user error, while operating transparently to the end user.

The talk will examine the architectural progression which led from the development of XenClient XT (an MILS system designed for the US intelligence and defence communities) to the Bromium platform, that draws on much of the same technology but is designed for a far more mainstream use case.

About the speaker:

Ian Pratt leads the product team at Bromium, a startup focussed on making computer systems more trustworthy. He was formerly a member of faculty at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, where he led the systems research group before leaving to found XenSource, which was acquired by Citrix in 2007. He co-founded Bromium early last year, which now employs over 40 researchers and developers across its offices in Cambridge UK and Cupertino, California.