Humanity collectively creates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily, presenting incredible opportunities for organizations—especially those who collect it in the cloud. Cloud-based data offers excellent insights for organizations, including a meaningful look at customer needs and operational improvements.

However, these benefits come with risks, especially regarding security. According to IBM Security’s latest “Cost of a Data Breach Report,” the average compromise now costs organizations $4.35 million, which doesn’t include the loss of trust and credibility that can take years to build.

That’s where Azure Confidential Computing (ACC) comes in, a new solution launched by SAS, our strategic partner Microsoft and chipmaker AMD. With it, IT leaders can offer better cloud data security than traditional on-premise solutions. Keep reading to learn more about the Azure Confidential Computing solution, its benefits and why it matters to organizations.

What is Azure Confidential Computing for SAS® Viya® on Microsoft Azure?

Azure Confidential Computing enables the isolation of sensitive data while it’s being processed in the cloud. It protects and encrypts data in use, enhanced by AMD EPYC CPUs featuring AMD Infinity Guard SEV-SNP technology, to guard against insider threats, hackers, and unauthorized third parties.

The offering of Azure Confidential Computing for SAS® Viya® on Microsoft Azure is another evolution in our ongoing partnership with Microsoft. Some of the exciting benefits for existing and prospective SAS® Viya® on Azure customers including:

• More powerful and accurate analytic models: SAS® Viya® on Microsoft Azure customers can leverage Azure Confidential Computing to re-authorize data and cross reference anonymous information with other data to identify a person, group, or transaction. Accurate data means accurate outcomes for better decision-making—all at a lower cost.
• Build-ons for existing integrations: Microsoft and SAS bring over four decades of expertise in respective enterprise and analytics innovation. Azure Confidential Computing provides another integration that already includes support for business rules implementation, IoT streaming integration, and high performance computing that can be run anywhere.
• Meaningful industry benefits: Technology leaders across various industries can immediately benefit from Azure Confidential Computing for SAS® Viya® on Azure. Retailers, financial services firms, and healthcare providers can be more targeted in advertising, prevent fraud and money laundering, and be more effective in providing insurance to improve customer experiences without ceding control of their data.

If security for your data is keeping you from the cloud or preventing you from going all-in, Azure Confidential Computing for SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure can be transformational for your organization. Not only is it cost-effective, but it also offers easy-to-use and secure accessibility to high-fidelity data.

Want to know more? Visit here to learn about the Microsoft and SAS partnership.