This Confidential VM offering uniquely combines Ubuntu Pro's comprehensive security and compliance features with Azure's Confidential Computing technology. The result is an ideal environment for sensitive and regulated workloads that demand the highest level of data protection. Ubuntu Pro's advanced security features perfectly complement the runtime encryption and memory isolation provided by Azure Confidential VMs, creating a multi-layered security approach that protects your data at rest, in transit, and during processing.

Ubuntu, the leading Linux distribution extensively used across cloud platforms, is endorsed by Microsoft for Azure. This image is fine-tuned to enhance compatibility and performance on Azure, ensuring support for the latest cloud features as they are released. Known for its robust security and stability, Ubuntu powers more mission-critical workloads than any other operating system.

Key Features:

• Trusted source for open source: Official image created by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, in a trusted build pipeline.
• Optimized for Azure: Fine-tuned in collaboration with Microsoft to enhance performance on Azure, supporting the latest cloud features effectively.
• Confidential Computing: Leverages the platform’s underlying hardware Trusted Execution Environment capabilities to protect VMs from each other, as well as from the host software, including the hypervisor. As such, Ubuntu confidential VMs are encrypted in system memory, while computation is taking place.
• Integration with Azure Tools: Integrates with tools like Azure Guest Patching and the Update Management Center, streamlining updates and management to ensure security while adhering to Safe Deployment Practices for improved stability.
• Security and stability: Canonical tracks and delivers updates regularly, embedding security from the initial deployment to safeguard your operations.
• Kernel Livepatch: Kernel patches for high and critical vulnerabilities delivered immediately and applied at run time, removing the need for unplanned immediate reboots.
• Expanded Security Maintenance: Provides up to 12 years of security updates, ensuring long-term support for enterprise applications.
• Enhanced package security: Extends security maintenance to over 25,000 packages, including critical applications such as Apache Kafka, NGINX, MongoDB, Redis, and PostgreSQL, allowing teams to consume a vast collection of open source software while meeting their internal security, governance, and compliance requirements.
• Compliance and hardening: Reduce your operational risk with certified automation tools for hardening and compliance profiles. Includes FIPS 140 certified components, with optional CIS hardening profile and DISA STIG. These features will be added as they become available.
• Landscape: Automates security management tasks across your Ubuntu estate, available on request, streamlining control and security.

By choosing Ubuntu Pro on Azure Confidential VMs, you benefit from a powerful combination of Canonical's commitment to security and the cutting-edge confidential computing capabilities available on Azure. This integration ensures an optimal and highly secure cloud experience, particularly suited for handling sensitive data and complying with strict regulatory requirements. Whether you're deploying critical financial applications, handling sensitive healthcare data, or managing government information, Ubuntu Pro on Azure Confidential VMs provides a reliable, flexible, and highly secure platform tailored to your most demanding security needs. Start your confidential computing journey with Ubuntu Pro on Azure today to harness the full potential of secure cloud infrastructure.