One of the major problems with trusted computing adoption has been a lack of good introductory information. People wondering what this technology is, why they should care about it, or how they should get started using it have generally not had very many resources to turn to. In this book, I will begin with the most basic questions of what the technology is; talk about when this technology is most useful (and, equally important, when it's not); and then start introducing the technical details of why and how to use the technology. If you're still at the stage of wondering if this technology is relevant to you, start with the first couple of chapters; there's enough complexity here that a classic engineer's `jump in feet first' approach is inefficient. If you're familiar with the basics of trusted computing technology already, Chapters 4 and up will provide you with useful reference material, but you may also find new ideas for how trusted computing can be applied in your environment in Chapter 2. This book is intended for a technical audience, but not one with any particular familiarity with trusted computing, hardware, or security concepts.

Chapter Contents:

• 1.1 About this book
• 1.1.1 The enterprise approach
• 1.1.2 User stories
• 1.2 What is trusted computing?
• 1.2.1 What do we mean by 'trusted'?
• 1.2.2 A brief history of trusted computing
• 1.2.3 The Trusted Computing Group
• 1.3 TPMs at a high level
• 1.3.1 Roots of Trust
• 1.3.2 Chains of trust
• 1.3.3 The TPM threat model
• 1.3.4 What TPMs are good for
• 1.3.5 What TPMs aren't good for
• 1.3.6 TPM versions
• 1.3.7 Common TPM myths
• 1.3.7.1 Myth: the TPM makes everything more secure
• 1.3.7.2 Myth: the TPM controls system boot
• 1.3.7.3 Myth: the TPM is tamper-proof
• 1.3.7.4 Myth: the TPM works for [ insert corporation here]
• 1.4 Where to find TPMs
• 1.5 TPM software options

Inspec keywords: trusted computing; security of data

Other keywords: trusted computing; security concepts; technical details; trusted platform modules

Subjects: Data security