Trusted Computing Platforms: TCPA Technology in Context

Preface

February 2001 witnessed a major leap forward in the field of computer security with the publication of an innovative industry specification for “trusted platforms.” This heralded a new era in significantly higher security for electronic commerce and electronic interaction than currently exists. What's the difference between a “platform” and a “trusted platform”? A platform is any computing device—a PC, server, mobile phone, or any appliance capable of computing and communicating electronically with other platforms. A Trusted Platform is one containing a hardware-based subsystem devoted to maintaining trust and security between machines. Throughout this book, we use italics for terms like this that we are using in a very specific way. ...