.bLog taDe naMa.

by Usama Tharwat Elhagari from Cyber Security Malaysia [May, 2]

Introduction:
Today's system are very vulnerable to a range of attacks.
- Computer Security is mostly concerned with security aspects of software.
- No physical security is provided for the PC hardware. eg: HDD
- Protecting IT system through software-only mechanisms cannot solve alone all the security problems.
  (i) OS and application software are very complex, and removing all software vulnerabilities is almost an impossible task.
  (ii) almost one security vulnerability/1000 lines of source code
  (iii) attack on software, OS and application, are higher as compared with attacks on hardware.
- Users become more mobile, physical theft become more concern.
- Some security problems are unsolvable without a bootstrap to protected hardware.
- Software-only security application can not protect the hardware platform against attacks on its integrity or modification of the security software.
- A trusted and tamperproof security basis can't implemented using software-based solution alone.

Hardware-based embedded security solution approach
- Trusted Computing (TC): refers to the addition of the hardware functionality to a computer system that enables entities with which the computer interacts to have some level of trust in what the system is doing.
- So, TC is so great significance for building secure computing system based on new architecture in both hardware and software.
- TC is an industry initiatives intended to protect data in computer platforms from software attack and include protecting servers, desktops and so on.

Fundamental Features of Trusted Platform
- A trusted platform module (TPM) is a specialized chip that can be installed on the motherboard of a personal computer for the purpose of hardware authentication.
- authenticates the computer in question rather than the user.
- TPM stores information specific to the host system, such as encryption keys, digital certificates and passwords.
- minimizes the risk that data on the computer will be compromised by physical theft or an attack by an external hacker.
- Hardware protection is inherently less vulnerable to software-based attacks and authentication processes are conducted through a secure subsystem.
- The device also enhances the security of Web browsers, email programs and other important applications.
- Components: (non-volatile storage, random number generator, platform configuration register (PCR), Program Code, SHA-i Engine, Key Generation, Opt In, RSA Engine).