We aim to vastly reduce the attack surface of the internet by integrating cloud technology with “dummy” devices. These “dummy” devices do not contain processors, and instead act as a transmitter/receiver for virtual machines in the cloud.
It’s completely evident that personal computers, whether it be desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, watches, etc. have become an integral part of society. However, there is liability associated with every device, as it can take just one click to compromise the security of the device. Additionally, higher computing power and stronger security are typically associated with higher cost, which makes these abilities inaccessible to many. This, along with the rapid rate at which technology improves, encourages upgrades and/or replacements that are not economically friendly.
Because of these risky and problematic situations, we are pushing for the usage of devices that do not contain a processor. A basic layout would contain “dummy” devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, monitor, microphone, and camera, all connected to a zero-client device that sends and receives information. All computing would be done via virtual machines in the cloud, and would then be sent to and received by the zero-client device, and finally displayed on the monitor. There are multiple benefits to this model, the most prominent features being the added security, affordability, and adaptability. The cloud is developed and maintained by professionals, which adds a degree of security substantially stronger than anything the average user can provide. Accessing virtual machines via “dummy” devices is substantially cheaper, on par with many low-cost internet capable devices on the market. Finally, improving, scaling, and overall updating virtual systems to remain on par with the technology standard is easier and more economically friendly than being forced to update or replace personal computers.
Acknowledgments: NSF and US Ignite
Team Information: CPEC Edge Cloud Computing Platform, Malathi Veeraraghavan
[email protected]
