SecureCloud tackles the challenge of maintaining data confidentiality during cloud-based computation, beyond the already common protection of data at rest and in transit. It leverages hardware features like Intel SGX to isolate sensitive computations from potentially compromised cloud software stacks, ensuring security even without physical control over the hardware.

The project focuses on secure and reliable Big Data processing using microservices, protecting only the core data-processing logic while leaving auxiliary functions outside the trusted base. It includes mechanisms to detect and recover from compromised environments. The approach will be validated through a smart grid use case, involving distributed infrastructure, limited physical security, and untrusted administrators.