Patent ID: 8756417

Claim:
A multi-mode Trusted Computing Platform (TCP), comprising: a. a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device that includes a Type-1-compliant root of trust (ROT); b. memory containing a Type-1 security boot image and at least one lower-security boot image than the Type-1 security boot image; and c. memory containing a Type-1-associated operating system (OS) image and at least one lower-security-associated OS image than the Type-1-associated OS image; wherein the TCP is configured to execute a multi-stage boot process that, depending on presence of one or more valid external inputs, selects and initiates either a Type-1 TCP computing mode or a lower-assurance computing mode than the Type-1 TCP computing mode; wherein the TCP is configured such that a set of input/output (I/O) devices and applications with which the TCP can interact depends upon the computing mode selected and initiated by the TCP; and wherein the TCP is configured to have functionality and access that, when in Type-1 TCP computing mode, is restricted and controlled by the FPGA-based TCP (FTCP) per Type-1 protocol and is isolated from all non-Type-1 TCP computing mode functionality, applications, files systems, and devices.