Title: INTRODUCTION

Introduction

What is this deliverable about?

This deliverable presents a study on Trusted Computing (TC), a key enabling technology that adds substantial new security features, and its possible impact on identity and identity management. It gives a deep look into TC concepts, features and specifications, which are still developed within and beyond the “Trusted Computing Group”, a non-profit organization dedicated for TC specifications that evolved out of the “Trusted Computing Platform Alliance” industry working group.  

The deliverable discusses the TCG organization and the specifications it defines. It sheds the light on three main components of the TCG proposal which are the hardware component Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a kind of (protected) pre-BIOS called the Core Root of Trust for Measurement (CRTM), and a support software called TCG Software Stack (TSS).

Moreover, the deliverable discusses TC research and development beyond the TCG specifications. This includes trustworthy operating systems and secure platforms and hardware that are designed and developed nowadays to support the TC specifications. The study also focuses on application scenarios for TC such as distributed policy enforcement, DRM and anonymity services. It also gives an overview of the TC solutions in the market according to TPM Manufacturers, system integrators, industrial and academic open-source projects…

This thorough description of TC concepts, functionalities, specifications and market status is followed by a description of the implications of TC for identity and identity management. Some features and protocols defined by the TCG can have substantial effect on various aspects of identification and can hence enable new business cases. Some functionality can also affect privacy aspects of consumer using TC-based platforms; other can enhance identification depending on the use of TC. The deliverable sheds the light on some TC features that can improve identity management, especially in terms of interoperability and trust establishment. 

Readers of this deliverable are assumed to have a fair level of computer science background as it especially focuses on technological advancements that can potentially support identity and identity management, although readers with legal background can also benefit from the legally controversial issues relater to TC, in addition to its privacy implications in the context of identification. 

Parts of this deliverable are based on a study to be published by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) [141].