  Edge computing promises to reshape the centralized nature of today's
cloud-based applications by bringing computing resources, at least in part,
closer to the user. Reasons include the increasing need for real-time
(short-delay, reliably-connected) computing and resource-demanding artificial
intelligence (AI) algorithms that overstrain mobile devices' batteries or
compute power but are too bandwidth-demanding to be offloaded to a distant
cloud. However, companies may need to run their protected business logic on
(untrusted) third-party edge devices, which can lead to serious issues due to
weaker security measures than in cloud environments. This article makes the
case for trusted edge computing (TEC), which focuses on developing concepts and
methods for protecting application providers' business logic (and thus their
intellectual property) specifically tailored to open edge infrastructures. This
article further discusses open challenges in TEC to be addressed in the future.
Otherwise, edge computing risks being a non-starter for most businesses due to
the inadequate and neglected protection of intellectual property.
