Abstract

This document provides an overview of the interactions of the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) [TCG Overview], the firmware standards work within the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) Forum, and implementation practices of UEFI PI-based [UEFI Book][UEFI Shell Book][UEFI Overview] implementations. In addition, this paper will provide some use-cases and implementation examples of this technology in addition to the industry threats that motivate the design of this class of technology. This paper is mainly intended for Hardware, firmware, software, and BIOS engineers. But beyond this audience, some of the information in this paper will be valuable for IT decision makers, marketing, and other parties. The goal of the paper is to take away an understanding of the motivations behind trusted platform design, the terminology of trust, how to navigate the Trusted Computing Group set of specifications and technology that relate to platform, impact on platform firmware and UEFI, instances of deployment in the market, and some future possible directions for hardware and firmware.

Citations