Trusted Computing Platforms

Motivation and Background

The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) is a not-for-profit organization formed to develop, define, and promote open specifications for trusted computing and security technologies, including hardware building blocks and software interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. TCG specifications enable more secure computing environments without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights. The primary goal of these specifications and their implementation is to help users protect their information assets (data, passwords, keys, etc.) from compromise due to external software attack and physical theft. Through its member-driven work groups, TCG has specifications for a variety of related devices, including mobile devices, servers, peripheral devices, infrastructure and embedded systems. TCG also has created software interface specifications for development of applications to build on TCG technology.

Our Research

We investigate the hardware structure used in a TCP, emphasize on the security aspects of the structure, and point out some weak points and possible solutions for these weak points.

Links to Other Research Groups

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Trusted Computing Group "The Trusted Computing Group, or TCG, develops and promotes open specifications. Computing industry vendors use these specifications in products that protect and strengthen the computing platform against software-based attacks. In contrast, traditional security approaches have taken a 'moat' approach and are software-based, making them vulnerable to malicious attacks, virtual or physical theft, and loss."
IBM IBM is also a member of the Trusted Computing Group as a promoter. Select ThinkPad and ThinkCentre systems include an embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM). ThinkVantage Client Security Solution works in conjunction with this chip to manage encryption keys and processes.
Dell, Inc. Dell is currently a member of the Trusted Computing Group as a contributer. The TPM security hardware device comes standard on selected desktops and notebooks. Dell Optiplex GX620 is one of the desktops that includes TPM.
Hardware Security Group TAMPER(Tamper And Monitoring Protection Engineering Research) lab at the University of Cambridge.

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Last modified: Nov 20, 2006, 10:46 EST