In September 2026, Swanson Reed granted the prestigious Patent of the Month for the Hawaii state to Applied Enclaves LLC for their work on Patent 12699768, titled “System and method for running enclave-aware executables.” This accolade was awarded because the invention represents a significant leap forward in cybersecurity architecture, reflecting the high level of technical innovation emerging from Hawaii. The recognition by Swanson Reed highlights the exceptional engineering by Honolulu inventor Mark Nelson to solve complex vulnerabilities in shared process spaces.

The invention is highly innovative because it fundamentally changes how software processes operate by introducing sub-process isolation. Instead of placing blind trust in every executable within a shared process space, this system utilizes an enclave-aware Application Binary Interface and an enclave-aware runtime. This allows individual executables and libraries to operate inside hardware-enforced secure boundaries. By automating the execution of enclaves and requiring explicit, encrypted function calls, the technology prevents attackers from probing memory or hijacking library modules even if the underlying operating system is fully compromised.

The practical applications of this patent make a compelling case for eligibility for the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit in the United States. Developing an enclave-aware runtime and overcoming the technical uncertainties involved in securely linking external symbol dependencies require rigorous experimentation and software engineering. For businesses undertaking similar technical challenges, such as building hardware-rooted digital signature models or creating encrypted communication channels between software libraries, the costs associated with these development phases often qualify as eligible research expenses. Utilizing the R&D tax credit allows companies to reinvest these savings into further technological advancements and strengthen their overall cybersecurity infrastructure.