1
Trusted Computing Platform Alliance

• Eric L. Frederich
• COT 4810
• Nov. 4th 2004

2
Overview

• Definitions
• About TCPA
• Known Implementations
• Hypotheticals / Drawbacks
• Ethics
• Summary

3
Definitions

• TCPA
• Trusted Computing Platform alliance
• Alliance between Microsoft, Intel, IBM, HP, and
  AMD to promote a safer computing environment
  through the use of hardware.
• http//www.againsttcpa.com/tcpa-members.html
• Solution to everythingspam, viruses, worms
• Aliases
• Palladium (Microsoft)
• NGSCB Next Generation Secure Computing Base
  (Microsoft)
• Safer Computing (Intel)

4
About TCPA

• Mid 1990s Intel hardware security
• Pentium III serial number
• Senator Fritz Hollings of South Carolina
• Out of office this year ?
• Government stake
• Creates a trusted layer between hardware and
  user.
• Removes ownership of applications and data from
  you.
• Places ownership in the hands of the content
  industry and software vendors
• Security for the media from the user
• Automatic document destruction
• Triggered either by time or by request

5
About TCPA
continued

• Microsoft
• Stop viruses by preventing the running of
  malicious programs.
• Store personal data within an encrypted folder.
• Depends on hardware that has either a digital
  signature or a tracking number.
• Filters spam.
• Personal information sharing agent called "My
  Man."
• The system will incorporate Digital Rights
  Management technologies for media files of all
  types (music, documents, e-mail communications).
  Additionally, the system purports to transmit
  data within the computer via encrypted paths.

6
Known Implementations

• Transmeta Crusoe TM8500
• National PC21100
• Atmel AT97SC3201
• American Megatrends AMIBIOS8
• IBM Thinkpad X30, Netvista
• STMicro ST19XP18
• Infineon SLD9630_TT_1.1
• Lexmark printer cartridges
• Palladium Xbox ?

7
Hypotheticals / Drawbacks

• Documents
• Expiration dates
• A company stops supporting its software or
  increases prices of licenses to an unreasonable
  amount.
• Cannot use any other software to view DRM
  documents created with the software
• Remote Censorship
• CDs
• Could only be played with one media player
• Could only be playable a certain number of days
  or times
• Gives large corporations / government ability to
  do whatever they want with your computer. Most
  likely will include a backdoor for the FBI
• in 2010 President Clinton may have two red
  buttons on her desk - one that sends the missiles
  to China, and another that turns off all the PCs
  in China

8
Ethics

• Vigilantism
• Large companies enforcing laws that theyre not
  responsible for enforcing.
• Taking huge liberties on interpretation the laws
• Use of TCPA functionality of your hardware is
  optional, as is gasoline in an automobile
• Do we want to be dependant on these big
  corporations the same way were dependant on
  middle eastern countries for oil?
• Legalized logic bombs
• Performance Chips on your vehicle would be
  illegal
• Helps big companies, discourages competition

9
Summary

• TCPA is a TRAP
• Do you want a company notorious for its security
  flaws to be in charge of your computers
  security?
• Anti-competitive practices are bad for the
  consumer.

10
References

• http//www.antitcpa.com
• http//www.epic.org/privacy/consumer/microsoft/pal
  ladium.html
• http//www.theregister.co.uk/2002/06/25/why_intel_
  loves_palladium/
• http//www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2002/j
  ul02/0724palladiumwp.asp
• http//www.microsoft.com/resources/ngscb/ngscb_ove
  rview.mspx
• https//www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/home