Univa HPC Job Bank
HPC in the Cloud


Dedicated to covering high-end cloud computing
in science, industry and the datacenter

Language Flags

Cloud Computing for Spies?


US government intelligence agencies are working toward implementing a joint information technology system, a shared infrastructure that is simultaneously more secure and more open, and they're looking to cloud computing to help point the way forward.

Top SecretA Bloomberg article cites U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as saying that "cloud computing will play a major role as the nation's spy agencies work to integrate computer and information systems to share more data securely."

In Washington today, in front of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Clapper discussed cloud computing's "huge potential for achieving savings and promoting integration."

According to the Bloomberg piece:

Intelligence agencies are trying to devise a way of tagging and labeling data to separate more sensitive information about sources and methods used to collect intelligence from the substance that operatives, analysts and officials need. The aim is to allow better information-sharing among traditionally secretive and turf-sensitive agencies without jeopardizing security.

A shared IT system such as this will need to address a unique set of security requirements. In addition to advanced tagging and labeling strategies, there need to be strict audit and accounting protocols to constantly monitor for unauthorized intrusions. Clapper sees these elements coalescing into a workable solution within the next five years.

The Obama administration supports the need for greater privacy measures for sensitive government files. In October, the President established the Insider Threat Task Force to help stop information leaks. In the Executive Order, the President calls for "structural reforms to ensure responsible sharing and safeguarding of classified information on computer networks that shall be consistent with appropriate protections for privacy and civil liberties."

The opening statement of policy doubles as a succinct encapsulation of the challenge at hand:

Our Nation's security requires classified information to be shared immediately with authorized users around the world but also requires sophisticated and vigilant means to ensure it is shared securely. Computer networks have individual and common vulnerabilities that require coordinated decisions on risk management.

In a somewhat controversial move, the White House has also ordered a study to assess the usefulness of commercial satellite imagery to national security.

Most Read Blogs

Aspen

Feature Articles

CometCloud: Using a Federated HPC-Cloud to Understand Fluid Flow in Microchannels

The ever-growing complexity of scientific and engineering problems continues to pose new computational challenges. Thus, we present a novel federation model that enables end-users with the ability to aggregate heterogeneous resource scale problems. The feasibility of this federation model has been proven, in the context of the UberCloud HPC Experiment, by gathering the most comprehensive information to date on the effects of pillars on microfluid channel flow.
Read more...

CERN, Google, and the Future of Global Science Initiatives

Large-scale, worldwide scientific initiatives rely on some cloud-based system to both coordinate efforts and manage computational efforts at peak times that cannot be contained within the combined in-house HPC resources. Last week at Google I/O, Brookhaven National Lab’s Sergey Panitkin discussed the role of the Google Compute Engine in providing computational support to ATLAS, a detector of high-energy particles at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
Read more...

Avoiding Scientific Computing Bottlenecks in the Cloud

Frank Ding, engineering analysis & technical computing manager at Simpson Strong-Tie, discussed the advantages of utilizing the cloud for occasional scientific computing, identified the obstacles to doing so, and proposed workarounds to some of those obstacles.
Read more...

Sponsored Whitepapers

Best Practices in Big Data Storage

05/10/2013 | Cleversafe, Cray, DDN, NetApp, & Panasas | From Wall Street to Hollywood, drug discovery to homeland security, companies and organizations of all sizes and stripes are coming face to face with the challenges – and opportunities – afforded by Big Data. Before anyone can utilize these extraordinary data repositories, however, they must first harness and manage their data stores, and do so utilizing technologies that underscore affordability, security, and scalability.

Exploring the Potential of Heterogeneous Computing

04/02/2012 | AMD | Developers today are just beginning to explore the potential of heterogeneous computing, but the potential for this new paradigm is huge. This brief article reviews how the technology might impact a range of application development areas, including client experiences and cloud-based data management. As platforms like OpenCL continue to evolve, the benefits of heterogeneous computing will become even more accessible. Use this quick article to jump-start your own thinking on heterogeneous computing.

Sponsored Multimedias

Newsletters

Stay informed! Subscribe to HPC in the Cloud email Newsletters.

HPC in the Cloud Update
HPCwire Weekly Update
Digital Manufacturing Report
Datanami
HPCwire Conferences & Events
Job Bank
HPCwire Product Showcases


ISC

HPC Job Bank


Featured Events



  • June 16, 2013 - June 20, 2013
    ISC'13
    Leipzig,
    Germany

  • June 17, 2013 - June 18, 2013
    Forecast 2013
    San Francisco, CA
    United States




HPC in the Cloud Conferences & Events