IBM launched Hyper Protect Offline Signing Orchestrator (OSO) on December 5 in partnership with digital asset management company Metaco and Tier 1 Bank. This innovative air-gapped cold storage solution addresses the weaknesses in traditional cold storage systems.

Traditional cold storage solutions suffer from limitations due to human interaction, such as privileged administrator access, operational errors, and scalability challenges. OSO overcomes these problems by automating the initiation and execution of trades, working safely with time delays.

OSO can be configured to only send transactions to the blockchain at specific times or through a multi-agent governance scheme that protects against common insider attacks, including physical access, administrative manipulation, and coercion. Even if unauthorized access occurs, the system only allows transactions within approved times, thus enhancing security.

To defend against attacks, OSO allows digital assets to be stored in air-gapped containers, ensuring that they are offline and protected from remote threats. This step adds an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access to static assets.

Unlike the traditional air-gapped paradigm where administrators manually sign transactions using physical devices, OSO accelerates the process through a policy engine. The engine facilitates secure communication between applications without the need to connect two applications, reducing the risk of human error and remote attacks.

OSO operates on virtual distributed servers through IBM Confidential Computing Services, ensuring secure transactions by eliminating direct external network connections. This breakthrough solution enhances blockchain security, providing a powerful defense against potential threats during transactions.