Trusted Computing Platform Alliance

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

TCG's major goal is the development of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), an additional chip that can be included with computers that permits some trusted computing features.

See also: trusted computing, Fritz-chip.

Related projects

Chipmakers are developing systems that integrate a TPM with a normal chipset. Intel's is called LaGrande Technology (LT). AMD's is called Secure Execution Mode (SEM). Transmeta's is called Transmeta Security eXtensions (TSX). IBM uses two names, Embedded Security Subsystem and ThinkVantage Technology. National Semiconductor uses two names as well, SafeKeeper and Super I/O. Phoenix's BIOS for it is called Core Managed Environment (cME). Fujitsu calls it FirstWare Vault. Hewlett Packard calls it ProtectTools. nVidia calls it ActiveArmor. Via Technologies has a project called Padlock which appears to be the same.

Microsoft's initiative is called NGSCB (formerly Palladium). It is expected to be a part of the next major Microsoft operating system release, codenamed Longhorn.

External links

• TCG official site
• TCPA official site
• Against TCPA.com
• Wave Systems Corp. TPM Trust Infrastructure provider

• Ross Anderson's TCPA/Palladium FAQ
• TCPA and Palladium Technical Analysis
• Security in Open versus Closed Systems (PDF)
• Trusted Computing Platform Alliance homepage
• The Register story about Intel's LaGrande chip project
• ExtremeTech article: Microsoft's Palladium: Security for whom?
• Digital Rights Management issues in real-time and safety/mission critical systems
• AEL wiki on Trusted Computing with many links and press articles