BackgrounderNovember 2006

More Secure Computing
Businesses, governments, academic institutions, and individual users are becoming
increasingly interconnected through a variety of wired and wireless communication networks
and with a variety of computing devices. Concerns about the security of communications,transactions, and wireless networks are inhibiting realization of benefits associated withpervasive connectivity and electronic commerce. These concerns include exposure of data onsystems, system compromise due to software attack, and lack of user identity assurance forauthorization. The latter concern is exacerbated by the increasing prevalence of identify theft.
In addition, as users become more mobile, physical theft is becoming a growing concern. Usersand IT organizations need the industry to address these issues with standards-based security
solutions that reduce the risks associated with participation in an interconnected world while
also ensuring interoperability and protecting privacy. Standardization will also enable a moreconsistent user experience across different device types.
The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) formed in 2003 to respond to this challenge. The purposeof TCG is to develop, define, and promote open, vendor-neutral industry specifications fortrusted computing. These include hardware building block and software interface specifications
across multiple platforms and operating environments. Implementation of these specifications
will help manage data and digital identities more securely, protecting them from external
software attack and physical theft. TCG specifications can also provide capabilities that can beused for more secure remote access by the user and enable the user’s system to be used as asecurity token.
This backgrounder will provide an overview of the threats being addressed by TCG, the user
and IT benefits that can be derived from the use of products based on TCG specifications, andthe structure and specifications of the organization.
The Threat of Software Attack
A critical problem being addressed by products developed based upon these specifications is
the increasing threat of software attack due to a combination of increasingly sophisticated andautomated attack tools [1], the rapid increase in the number of vulnerabilities being discovered[1], and the increasing mobility of users.
The large number of vulnerabilities is due, in part, to the incredible complexity of modernsystems. For example, a typical Unix® or Windows® system, including major applications,represents on the order of 100 million lines of code. Recent studies have shown that typicalproduct level software has roughly one security related bug per thousand lines of source code.
Thus, a typical system will potentially have one hundred thousand security bugs.
The reality of this problem can be seen in data on reported vulnerabilities and incidents
maintained by the CERT® Coordination Center (CERT) at the federally funded Software
Engineering Institute operated by Carnegie Mellon University [2]. For example, reported
vulnerabilities have, on average, doubled each year 2000 – 2002. CERT is reporting similar
numbers of vulnerabilities reported for 2003 – 2006.

Vulnerabilities Reported
4500
No. of Vulnerabilities

4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
5000
1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

The large and rapidly increasing number of vulnerabilities creates an ideal situation for hackers,
as the difficulties associated with keeping up with necessary patches (when available) creates
an environment in which most systems will have at least one of the known vulnerabilities. Clientsystems are particularly vulnerable, as they typically do not have security-aware administrators
to keep up with the patches. And, hacker interest in client systems is increasing, due to thevaluable information stored on mobile systems and the large number of these systems in use.
The resulting number of incidents reported to CERT below, each of which may represent
multiple systems, demonstrates that the problem is indeed very real.

Incidents Reported
90000
No. of Incidents

80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
01995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Copyright ©2006 Trusted Computing Group (www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.) All Rights Reserved2

The end result is that the data on systems is at risk. This risk takes several forms. First, there
is risk of electronic theft of valuable personal or enterprise data. Second, there is risk ofelectronic theft of identity / authentication information which can give hackers access to othersystems and accounts, thereby compounding the potential damage related to these attacks. Inaddition, as users become more mobile, there is an increasing risk that data and identity
information on user systems may be compromised due to physical theft or loss.
As these risks increase, there is also an increasing recognition that software-only security
mechanisms are not sufficient to protect information assets (e.g. user data, passwords,certificates, identity information, keys, credit card numbers, etc.). Even firewalls protecting
intranet environments do not provide much comfort, as software attacks are known to originate
from users inside these firewalls (e.g. from users on an intranet) and may also bypass thesefirewalls (e.g. via e-mail attachments), thus attacking from within. The use of hardware-based
embedded security solution is an increasingly important approach for protecting information
assets from compromise due to these attacks. TCG’s goal is to make these protections
available across a broad range of computing devices with common software interfaces tofacilitate application development and interoperability.
In addition to protecting against compromise, the TCG specifications provide mechanisms forproactively establishing a more trusted relationship for remote access through more secure user
authentication and machine authentication and/or attestation.
TCG and the Industry
The Trusted Computing Group is a not-for-profit corporation with international membership andbroad industry participation. The purpose of TCG is to develop, define, and promote open
specifications for trusted computing and security technologies, including hardware building
blocks and software interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. By using
the building blocks and software interfaces defined by TCG specifications, the industry isaddressing a range of security needs without compromising functional integrity, privacy, orindividual rights.
TCG was created with an organization structure and governance model, as defined by the TCG
bylaws, which is similar to many other computing industry standards bodies. This includes thefollowing:• An open membership model with multiple membership levels• A board of directors consisting of Promoters and elected Contributor members• Multiple work groups that are open to Promoter and Contributor members and seek
active participation by these members• A reciprocal reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) patent licensing policy
between the members
This structure is designed to enable the expedient development of open, industry-standard
specifications with broad industry participation and to foster widespread adoption of theorganization’s specifications.
The key deliverables of TCG are hardware and software interface specifications, white papers
and other materials that facilitate understanding and adoption of the specifications, andmarketing programs that promote awareness, capabilities and customer adoption.
Further information on the bylaws and membership levels are available on the web at
www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.

Copyright ©2006 Trusted Computing Group (www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.) All Rights Reserved3

User Benefits
When implemented in motherboards, desktop and notebook PCs, and other computingsystems, TCG specification can immediately benefit users and enhance confidence in thesecurity of their systems in many ways. Examples are:• More secure storage of files, personally identifiable information, and digital secrets. This
protects both data and identity from compromise due to external software attack orphysical theft.
• More secure user authentication by protection of keys used by authentication processes
such as 802.1x, S-MIME e-mail, and VPNs. This enhances the security of remote
access.
• Lower-cost and stronger user authentication by using systems with Trusted Computing
components as a security token along with other types of authentication (pass phrases,fingerprint readers, key fobs, smartcards, proximity badges, SIMs, etc.) to achievestronger multi-factor user authentication. In this case, the system becomes “what youhave” from an authentication standpoint.
Other applications that implement the specifications:• More secure platform authentication through protection of a key that is associated withthe platform.
• Platform authentication with multiple anonymous trusted identities which, whencombined with user authentication, will enable additional remote access security while
protecting privacy.
• More secure data protection through confirmation of platform integrity prior to decryption.
• More secure platform access through the use of hardware authentication.
• Platform authentication capabilities for user identities that could be either anonymous oridentification for secure access to such capabilities as Web Services.
• More secure data access in both a connected network environment and in a standalone
client where platform authentication plus data access authentication is desired.
• Network access control in which the IT organization can control user access based upon
policies and security procedures, knowing only secure clients have accessed thenetwork.
TCG Specifications
TCG policies that impact specification development are:• Open platform development model - TCG is committed to preserving the open
development model that enables any party to develop hardware, software, or systems
based on TCG specifications. Further, TCG is committed to preserving the freedom ofchoice that consumers enjoy with respect to hardware, software, and platforms.
• Platform owner and user control – TCG is committed to ensuring owners and users ofcomputing platforms remain in full control of their computing platform and to requiring
platform owners to opt-in to enable TCG features.
• Privacy effect of TCG specifications – TCG is committed to ensure that TCG
specifications provide for an increased capability to secure personally identifiable data.
TCG currently offers specifications for the hardware Trusted Platform Module, which is inwidespread deployment – TPMs are available from a number of vendors and implemented intens of millions of PCs and other systems.
The organization also has published the Trusted Computing Group Software Stack, known as
TSS 1.1, which developers are using as a foundation for various applications. Both the currentand future TCG specifications will provide backward compatibility with existing specifications.
Specifications are not developed exclusively for any specific company products or architectures
Copyright ©2006 Trusted Computing Group (www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.) All Rights Reserved4

To extend the specifications beyond the PC, TCG has work groups for servers, mobile devices,
storage, infrastructure and peripherals. A specification for network access control, TrustedNetwork Connect, has been available to industry for several years, and products to implement itare available from a number of networking equipment and applications providers.
TCG also has released a specification for trusted servers. As with other specifications, this one
supports a number of server types and form factors, and as implemented in servers shippingfrom several vendors, can help protect financial and other sensitive transactions and support
Trusted Computing clients already in deployment.
TCG also has started to extend the concepts of the trusted platform to mobile phones. The workgroup tackling the issue security on handheld systems has published a specification for theMobile Trusted Module and anticipates additional specifications to follow.
The group also will publish a specification to enable storage security.
.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Overview
The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a hardware component that securely stores digital keys,
certificates and passwords. TPMs protect encryption keys and digital signature keys to maintaindata confidentiality. TPM chips are designed to protect key operations and other security tasks
that would otherwise be performed on unprotected interfaces in unprotected communications.
Especially important, TPMs are specifically designed to protect platform and user authentication
information and unencrypted keys from software-based attacks.
TCG Software Stack (TSS) Overview
The TCG Software Stack (TSS) provides a standard software interface for accessing thefunctions of the TPM in order to facilitate application development and interoperability acrossplatform types. The TSS includes functions that can be used to create interfaces for existing
crypto APIs such as Microsoft CryptoAPI (CAPI), CDSA, and PKCS#11, thereby enabling TPM
support for current and future applications using these APIs. To make full use of the TPMs’
capabilities, including such functions as key backup, key migration, platform authentication andattestation, applications are written directly to the TSS.
Summary
TCG and its member companies are answering the need for increased security and trust incomputing platforms. The open hardware building block and software interface specifications
developed and promoted by TCG will attain this goal through hardware-based cryptographic
functions, protected storage of user data and secrets, mechanisms for secure storage andreporting of platform integrity information, and platform authentication with multiple attestation
identities.
As security threats increase, trusted computing and security technologies will evolve. TCG willcontinue to look for opportunities to work with the industry to make meaningful contributions toenhancing the security of the computing environment.
Information on TCG, member products and specifications is located at
www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.
References:
1. CERT Web Site: http://www.cert.org/archive/pdf/attack_trends.pdf [Overview of AttackTrends]
2. CERT Web Site: www.cert.org/stats/cert_stats.html [CERT/CC Statistics]

Copyright ©2006 Trusted Computing Group (www.trustedcomputinggroup.org.) All Rights Reserved

5