What is TPM? A Trusted Platform Module, also known as a TPM, is a hardware based security measure designed to authenticate the PC. Once set up, the TPM stores various information about the state of your computer, including login details and software settings. In short, then, it helps prevent unauthorized access to your computer systems.
The reason TPM is so important nowadays is because it offers a secure way of storing and running any applications that you use on your computer. For example, secure hardware such as a Secure Ethernet card or a USB port can be used as a Trusted Platform Module. The Secure Disk Encryption (SDE) feature, however, is where things get interesting. TPM uses a disk encryption feature which protects all the important data against loss or damage. This includes the login details for the Windows system and any other applications which are installed on your computer. The importance of this lies in the fact that if an individual’s username and password gets compromised, they cannot simply delete the files – they will instead be forced to give their password and then reboot the PC.
When this happens, all the working programs and files on your computer will be lost. How is this prevented, though? The secure storage of TPM data ensures that only you have physical access to the secured disk encryption key. When the secure disk encryption is disabled on your computer, then the user is given physical access only after he has logged on to the computer using his username and password. The presence of a Trusted Platform Module then ensures that no one else has physical access to the key which means that if he does manage to gain access to it, he will only be able to decrypt the data contained within the file.
One important thing to note about Trusted Platform Module is that it provides a way for ensuring that no data is stolen in the first place. Think about it – if there was a way to make sure that only you had physical access to your files, then how would anyone go about getting them? They wouldn’t, because physically possessing the data is not secure at all. But when you use a Trusted Platform Module, then even if someone else does get physical access to the disk, then they will not be able to read the information contained therein as long as you have the attestation. A Trusted Platform Module is what is needed here.
So what is TPM exactly? Quite simply, it is a type of digital signature. A digital signature is simply a way for two people to agree on the same message without needing to actually speak or exchange words. What happens here with a Trusted Platform Module is that it digitally signs the message of whoever is carrying it. This signature is then stored on the secure element which allows you to ensure that only you have read the message and are authorized to do so.
A typical uefi-based secure element will implement support for at least three main manufacturers of Trusted Platform Modules. In addition to being supported by Microsoft, Apple and Linux, this also supports Intel and Novell. When you are considering purchasing an uefi-based secure element for your OS, make sure that the manufacturer you choose supports TPM. If they don’t, then you’ll need to find another manufacturer.
So what is a.0 specification? A.0 specification, according to the EPC standards, is a description of the underlying technology. In other words, when looking at a.0 specification, you are looking at the underlying technical vocabulary of the device. For example, when looking at an Ethernet card, you would likely not be able to describe the protocol by referring to the.0 specification that came with the card. Rather, you’d want to know the details of the ATM (the card’s software) and the underlying technologies that determine how it will function.
In short, when you’re looking at what is TPM? you’re looking at an EPC (end-to-end key management) standard that determines what devices you can connect to a network and what keys you can use to secure those devices. Basically, this is used as a reference point by which all other secure elements, such as remote attestation, can be validated against. In essence, you’re asking a network administrator (or IT administrator if you have one) to authenticate communications between different entities, whether it’s about a secure VPN or remote backup. Using a trusted platform module (TPM), the administrator ensures that the information coming in does indeed go where it’s supposed to go, rather than getting lost in translation through some kind of hardware failure.
