Trusted Computing Group

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The Trusted Computing Group (TCG), successor to the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance (TCPA), is an initiative led by AMD, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Infineon, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems to implement trusted computing.

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[edit] Overview

TCG's original major goal was the development of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a semiconductor intellectual property core or integrated circuit that conforms to the trusted platform module specification put forward by the Trusted Computing Group and is to be included with computers to enable trusted computing features. TCG-compliant functionality has since been integrated directly into certain mass-market chipsets.

TCG also recently released the first version of their Trusted Network Connect (TNC) protocol specification, based on the principles of AAA, but adding the ability to authorize network clients on the basis of hardware configuration, BIOS, kernel version, and which updates that have been applied to the OS and anti-virus software, etc. [1]. As of Decenber 2006, almost one hundred fifty enterprises are members of TCG or follow its specifications.

Seagate has also developed a Full Disk encryption drive which can use the ability of the TPM to secure the key within the hardware chip.

[edit] Related projects

Chipmakers have developed varying implementations that integrate the TPM functions into a normal chipset. Intel's is called trusted execution technology . AMD's is called Secure Virtual Machine (SVM) [2]. Transmeta's is called Transmeta Security eXtensions (TSX). IBM uses two names, Embedded Security Subsystem and ThinkVantage Technology. Winbond Corporation uses SafeKeeper. Phoenix Technologies' BIOS for it is called Core Managed Environment (cME). Fujitsu calls it FirstWare Vault. Hewlett Packard calls it ProtectTools.

Microsoft's initiative is called Next Generation Secure Computing Base (formerly Palladium). Owing to significant difficulties in creating a working implementation that third-party developers were interested in using, NGSCB is not being included with Microsoft's next major operating system release, Windows Vista. Instead, Vista will ship with a few technologies that can make use of a TPM chip, such as BitLocker Drive Encryption, and a new version of the Microsoft Cryptography API. [3]

[edit] Criticisms

The group has faced widescale opposition from the free software community on the grounds that it goes against the principals of Alan Turing's universal computer theory. That is, a computer is a machine that has the ability to perform the function of any other machine. It has received criticism from the GNU/Linux community, the FreeBSD community as well as the Hacker community in general. Significant backlash amongst the Trusted Computing Group was present during Richard Stallman's speech at the Hackers on Planet Earth conference in July 2006, in New York. Richard Stallman, and the Free Software Foundation have also criticized the group publicly in other speeches. The criticism calls Trusted Computing "Treacherous Computing" instead and warns that vendors can lock out software that is not officially signed by specific vendors rendering it unusable.

[edit] TCG Founders

  • AMD
  • Hewlett-Packard
  • IBM
  • Infineon
  • Intel Corporation
  • Microsoft
  • Sun Microsystems, Inc.

[edit] See also

Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act

[edit] External links

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