Patent ID: 7376974
Filing Date: 2008-05-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer apparatus for creating a trusted environment comprising: a trusted device arranged to acquire a first integrity metric to allow determination as to whether the computer apparatus is operating in a trusted manner, said trusted device being a physical device which binds an identity of the computer apparatus to first reliably measured data by means of said first integrity metric; a software trust routine which binds an identity of at least a first operating system environment to second reliably measured data by means of at least a second integrity metric; a processor arranged to allow execution of said software trust routine and said at least a first operating environment, and means for restricting a privilege level of the at least a first operating system environment to a lower privilege level than that assigned to the software trust routine, wherein the software trust routine is arranged to acquire (i) the first integrity metric of said trusted device as an indicator of whether a user of said computer apparatus should trust that said computer apparatus is operating consistently with said first reliably measured data and (ii) the second integrity metric to allow determination by the user as to whether the at least a first operating system environment is operating in a trusted manner consistently with said second reliably measured data.