Trusted Computing Group

See also: TCG

The Trusted Computing Group ( TCG , named until in 2003 TCPA for Trusted Computing Platform Alliance ) is a consortium of companies of data processing (Compaq, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, AMD, etc) aiming at making safe the data-processing equipment and communications.

The objective of the consortium of these companies is to create the Trusted Computing , that is to say a data processing known as “of confidence”. The basic principle consists in assigning a signature with each data-processing object (software, document), and delegating to a Tiers of confidence the task to check if the handled object is authorized with being used on the local computing system.

Any element not signed or whose signature is not listed at the Tiers confidence will be rejected. This technique thus makes it possible to centralize the control carried out on the applications used (for example with a view to fight against the hacking). However, one of the problems raised by this technique is that the end user loses any control of what can or cannot be made with its own computer. So in all the cases it is initially the “Tiers of confidence” which decides, the user does not have any more any possible control on the choice of his software and their use.

The standards of the TCG are perceived like a serious threat by the world of the Free software. Each program having to be accompanied by a signature, obtaining this one could block many software. In particular, the problem of the possible price of the keys and the existence of arbitrary decision criteria worry about many developers and users of the free software. In basic screen the possibility for commercial large companies is hiding place of preventing any competition on their protected platform. This characteristic their was worth besides the nickname of Treacherous Computing (data-processing unfair), in opposition to official name Trusted Computing (Data-processing of confidence).

The data processing of confidence can also be seen as a threat for the protection of the Private life of the users since he delegates the management of the computer to a Tiers of confidence , this last having access to very given contained on the Ordinateur.

These principles of data-processing architecture known as of confidence are taken again by the technology developed by the company Microsoft and named Next-generation secure computing bases (in the past Palladium). The company Apple uses a similar mechanism to restrict the installation and the use of its operating system Mac OS X on machines containing processor Intel whose it only ensures manufacture: a chip '' TCG '' provided by Apple must normally be present on the mother chart so that this operating system is usable there. Technologies bear the names LaGrande at Intel and SEM (Secure Execution Mode) at AMD.

Preliminary draft TCPA, and its evolution under the name of TCG, has many bonds with the problem of the DRM. The base even of the data processing of confidence is in the long term to set up of the DRM in many points of the data-processing chain to control the software (nonpirate version, absence of virus) and the documents (audio file or video not pirated).

See too

External bonds

  • Official site

  • Members of the '' Trusted Computing Group ''
  • Article (S) explaining what is a '' Trusted Computing Platform '' (not neutral)
  • Clarification about the false ideas on the '' Trusted Computing Platforms '' (not neutral)
  • FAQ about chip TPM
; More on the risks of the Trusted Computing Platforms :
  • Against TCPA : site criticizes
  • Gnu.org: article of Richard Stallman presenting the potential dangers of the Trusted Computing Platforms .
  • Framasoft Article: does Their “data processing of confidence” inspire confidence to you?
    • Video
  • on the concept of '' Trusted Computing Platforms '' and its evolution

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