Object signing within a cloud-based architecture

1. A computer-implemented method for cloud-based object signing, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, an object and a request to sign the object; in response to the request to sign the object, dynamically creating, with the computing device, a virtual machine having a signing space based on a determined security of the cloud-based object signing;

obtaining, with the virtual machine, a signing key;

digitally signing, using the virtual machine, the object in the signing space with the signing key; and

after digitally signing the object:

destroying the signing key,

cleaning up and removing the virtual machine, and

transmitting the digitally signed object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises code.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a document.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises an electronic data file.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising taking a snapshot of the virtual machine prior to removing the virtual machine.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

obtaining the snapshot of the virtual machine; and

with the snapshot, restoring the virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising performing an audit of the restored virtual machine.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting and storing event data generated while digitally signing the object.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting and storing event data generated between creation and removal of the virtual machine.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the event data comprises at least one of timestamps, identification details, object checksums, or object samples.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising performing an audit of the virtual machine or the digitally signed object using the event data.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating the request to sign the object before dynamically creating the virtual machine.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

validating the request to sign the object by vetting at least one of an identity and credentials of a user associated with the request to sign the object.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

validating the request to sign the object by verifying that a required number of actors are present for the signing.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

validating the request to sign the object by verifying legitimacy of any credentials received in connection with the request to sign the object.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the object complies with a set of predetermined properties.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the object is properly formatted and free of malware.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signing space is encrypted.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing one or more compliance checks on the object to verify integrity and sign-ability of the object, wherein the one or more compliance checks comprise one or more of: running one or more security scans against the object;

running one or more vulnerability scans against the object;

running one or more Payment Card Industry/Sarbanes-Oxley (PCI/SOX) scans against the object;

verifying that the object is in a correct format; and

verifying that the object is free of malware.

20. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium for cloud-based object signing, the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when loaded into computer memory and executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive an object and a request to sign the object;

in response to the request to sign the object, dynamically create a virtual machine having a signing space based on a determined security of the cloud-based object signing;

obtain, with the virtual machine, a signing key;

digitally sign, using the virtual machine, the object in the signing space with the signing key; and

after digitally signing the object:

destroy the signing key,

clean up and remove the virtual machine, and

transmit the digitally signed object.

21. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when loaded into the computer memory and executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

perform one or more compliance checks on the object to verify integrity and sign-ability of the object, wherein the one or more compliance checks comprise one or more of:

run one or more security scans against the object; run one or more vulnerability scans against the object;

run one or more Payment Card Industry/Sarbanes-Oxley (PCI/SOX) scans against the object;

verify that the object is in a correct format; and

verify that the object is free of malware.

22. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when loaded into the computer memory and executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

take a snapshot of the virtual machine prior to removing the virtual machine;

obtain the snapshot of the virtual machine; and

with the snapshot, restore the virtual machine.