Week 5 - Trusted Platform Module

 I remember whenever I went into the BIOS of my computer system and started configuring some different settings to update my machine to Windows 11. One of the steps I had to follow through with was making sure I had the Trusted Platform Module enabled. So what exactly is a Trusted Platform Module (TPM)?

Well, Trusted Platform Module is a system on a chip installed on the motherboard of modern computers. This chip is dedicated to carrying out various security functions, including the storage of cryptographic keys, digital certificates, and symmetric, and asymmetric encryption. The TPM module was developed by the Trusted Computing Group (TCG), which is an organization that promotes open standards to strengthen computing platforms against different threats and weaknesses.

What makes TPM so special is that it lies in a protected encapsulated microcontroller security chip that provides a safe haven for storing the processes mentioned above. Using dedicated encrypted hardware platforms increases the root of trust in the computing system. This allows high-functioning security systems to be implemented.

One of the common examples of what TPM is used for is to bind a hard drive disk. The data on the hard drive disk is encrypted and the decryption key is stored on the TPM chip. This decryption key is also wrapped within another encryption key to prevent the hard drive disk from being accessible.