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Microsoft Corp., working with chipmaker Intel Corp ., is offering a cloud-computing service with more powerful encryption to secure data from hackers – and protect it from secret government data-gathering.

Called Azure confidential computing , the technology encrypts data while it is in use – which is when most security breaches occur, according to Azure Chief Technology Officer Mark Russinovich. The new product works by placing customer information in a virtual enclave, essentially a black box that keeps anyone outside the customer — including Microsoft itself — from accessing the data. That can keep cyberthieves, malicious insiders and governments from getting in without customer authorization.

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