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Three More Great Initiatives From The Trusted Computing Group
Category: Computers and TechnologyA lot of people are not aware of it, but many personal computers these days (forecast to be about 150 million this year alone) come with a very advanced security chip that can be used under full control of the owner of the computer to improve the level of safety and security of the computer, applications, and the internet connection. The chip’s behaviour has been specified by experts from all over the world working for many major companies through the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) initiative. They are specifying not just the chip, but many other protocols and systems that use the chip to enhance safety and security. This article describes some more of the interesting developments that the TCG members are now bringing to you, or plan to bring to you, the user and controller of the chip.
Storage: Although Microsoft with BitLocker on Vista use a TPM to manage a private key that controls encryption and decryption of the hard disk, the ultimate goal is to eliminate the software level and move the security down to the firmware level. This is the main thrust of the Storage Working Group, where many storage manufacturers are working together to bring you the highest level of security for your data. Other benefits of this secure storage is that keys can also be managed at a central server, so that recovery is easy in the case of a forgotten password, and disabling is easy in the case of a lost machine.
Virtualization: This working group is perhaps the hardest to wrap one’s head around! Virtualization allows multiple operating systems to be created within the same computer, with each virtual environment thinking it is the only one that exists on the computer. However, with virtualization comes the problem of what to do about the TPM - how do you give each virtual operating system its own Trusted Platform Module? On top of that, the virtual operating system can move from machine to machine, so how do you move the virtual TPM? Virtual TPMs are built upon other virtual TPMs, so what happens when the virtual TPM underneath changes? Does it matter? The Virtualization Working Group hopes to answer these questions and more!
TCG Member Meetings: This is not just a technological initiative, but it also is a chance for people from diverse companies and diverse industries and diverse countries to get together, to work together, and to play together. This deepening of inter-personal relations is not just an excuse for some beer, but given that there is always going to be tensions between companies representing the hardware makers, the software makers, and the service providers, face-to-face discussions break down barriers and strengthen bonds, so that the companies can concentrate on bringing the technologies to you, not on scoring points off each other on the rather impersonal medium of email or the lacking in visual clues environment of a teleconference.
So, you can see how the TCG’s TPM and other initiatives under their umbrella are working to protect you from many of today’s risks in the ever-more connected world. Next time you buy a computer, ask for one with a Trusted Platform Module and reap the rewards! The latest news from the trusted computing world can be found at http://blogoftrust.com, so bookmark it and don’t miss an issue.
Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson is involved with trusted computing initiatives and keeps a close watch on developments to bring the latest news to you.
Tags: tcg, tpm, trusted computing