Trusted Computing Platforms: TCPA Technology in Context (Paperback)

Trusted computing platforms are normal, open computer platforms (PC, server, printer, pda, mobile phone, etc) that have been modified to maintain privacy. This book explains Trusted Platform technology, a breakthrough in the field of computer security. It also provides an accessible introduction to a new industry standard in this space, recently introduced by the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance (TCPA), comprising the founding members HP, IBM, Microsoft, Compaq and Intel, as well as an extensive membership including Motorola, Cisco, Dell and AMD. This book explains the concept of the Trusted Platform, explores its implications, and illustrates the potential of the new technology using a variety of scenarios relevant to everyday business usage. Even established security professionals will not be familiar with these radical new concepts. Split into four parts, the first gives an overview of Trusted Platform technology, the second explains the TCPA specification, the third shows how Trusted Platforms can be built and used, and the fourth explores how this technology can be extended in the worlds of personal and business computing.

TCPA: Building computing platforms upon a solid foundation of trust.

As businesses stake their very existence on the Internet, PCs, PDAs, and other key computing platforms, the trustworthiness of these platforms has become a vital concern. In response, the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance (TCPA) has delivered a complete specification for building trusted computing platforms atop trusted hardware. In Trusted Computing Platforms, leaders of the initiative illuminate TCPA for every systems developer and decision-maker. They place TCPA in context, outlining its goals, techniques, and powerful implications for the future.

• What trusted computing platforms are, how they work, and what problems they will solve
• Transforming standard platforms into trusted platforms cost-effectively
• Scenarios for managers: TCPA applications in the security-focused business
• Protected storage: how TCPA can ensure the confidentiality of stored data
• Software integrity: ensuring that a system's software environment hasn't been tampered with
• Trust mechanisms in a trusted platform: functional descriptions, advantages, and overhead
• Trusted platforms in practice: TCPA for developers and technical professionals
• How trusted platforms can be used to protect user privacy
• The TCPA initiative: its history, status, and next steps forward

Backed by an extraordinary range of industry leaders, TCPA offers the first complete, cost-effective, and globally applicable solution for trusted computing. Whether you develop new systems or apply them in business or government, you need to understand this technology—and with this book, you will.