How to Create a Confidential VM Instance in the Cloud?
Written By
Ananaya Kandpal
Reading time: 5 minutes
The term Confidential Virtual Machines refers to a crucial advancement in cloud security, offering security not only for data at rest and in transit, but also for data in use. Usually, when data was processed inside system memory, it became susceptible to insider threats, unauthorized access, or memory-based attacks.
Confidential VMs eradicate this risk by encrypting memory using specialized hardware technologies, such as AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX. It certifies that even cloud hosting providers administrators cannot view the data being processed. As a result, Confidential VMs are widely accepted by industries managing financial records, healthcare data, mission-critical applications, and any workloads needing solid zero-trust security.
Understanding the Prerequisites
Before creating a Confidential VM instance, it is necessary to understand the basic requirements. Cloud providers generally support this feature only on specific machine families powered by secure-encryption-capable CPUs, such as AMD EPYC 3rd Gen or newer Intel processors with TDX.
Moreover, only a few operating system images, generally modern Linux distributions and selected Windows Server versions, are compatible with confidential computing features. Your cloud identity must also have enough permissions to create and handle compute instances. Limited IAM roles might hide or disable the Confidential VM option, so confirming your access level before is vital.
Selecting a Supported Region
Not all cloud regions support confidential computing, as the capability depends on the availability of the fundamental hardware. The first step in creating a Confidential VM is choosing a region that lists Confidential VM compatibility.
Selecting the right region verifies that the machine types, OS images, and attestation services needed for memory encryption are completely accessible. If your desired region does not support Confidential VMs, most cloud platforms will notify you and suggest alternatives.
Configuring the VM with Confidential Settings
Once the region is finalized, you can proceed with configuring the instance. Several cloud platforms offer a simple toggle or checkbox within the machine configuration panel to allow Confidential VM features. When this setting is activated, the platform automatically filters the available machine types to only those that prefer encrypted memory.
In most cases, additional security features like secure boot, virtual TPM, and integrity controls are enabled or recommended to reinforce the trust boundary of the VM.
Choosing the right operating system is another vital step. Confidential VMs need images that support encrypted workloads. Many providers publish optimized images that are already verified for crucial computing, making the process easy.
Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, CentOS, and RHEL are mainly supported, while specific Windows Server versions may need better compatibility checks. After choosing the OS image, you can proceed to configure storage, boot disk type, and disk size.
Setting Up Network and Access Controls
Networking for a Confidential VM acts the same way as for any standard virtual machine. You can assign VPC networks, subnets, and firewall rules based on your application’s needs. However, the access configuration deserves better consideration. Many administrators use SSH keys for Linux instances to manage solid identity verification. For Windows instances, RDP access can be configured securely with solid password policies and multi-factor authentication. A few cloud platforms also enable integration with OS-level policies that meet the Confidential VMs trusted execution environment.
Provisioning and Attestation
The instance can be generated once all the settings are in place. The cloud infrastructure initiates the hardware encryption engines and turns on attestation procedures during provisioning. In order to guarantee that the underlying hardware is authentic, unaltered, and functioning in a trusted state, remote attestation is essential.
Organizations may be sure that the virtual machine is operating in a safe, secure environment thanks to this verification. The cloud platform will show an error and direct you to compatible options if the OS image or machine type is incompatible with secret computing.
Connecting to the Confidential VM
Connecting to the virtual machine (VM) is as simple as visiting a conventional VM once it has been successfully installed. Windows users can create RDP sessions, while Linux users can connect using SSH. The key distinction is that all data handled within the virtual machine's memory is automatically encrypted.
To benefit from confidential computing, applications don't need to be modified; developers can keep using databases, analytical workloads, or proprietary models without adding more encryption layers.
Monitoring and Maintaining the Instance
Effective monitoring certifies that the Confidential VM continues functioning securely and effectively. Cloud platforms offer system metrics for CPU, memory, storage, and network usage, similar to standard VMs.
Integrity monitoring tools, combined with vTPM logs, enable administrators to verify whether the instance is still operating within its trusted environment. Regular reviews of these logs assist in finding misconfigurations or unauthorized changes.
Thus, creating a Confidential VM instance in the cloud is a smooth yet solid step toward fostering data security. By combining encrypted memory, trusted execution environments, secure boot mechanisms, and strong identity verification, Confidential VMs offer exceptional protection for sensitive workloads. Their compatibility with existing applications and simple setup make them an integral choice for businesses aiming to create secure, modern, and zero-trust cloud environments.
