International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Ryan Charles Catherman

James Patrick Hoff

Steven A Bade

David Carroll Challener

James Peter Ward

Randall Scott Springfield

Emily Jane Ratliff

Nia Letise Kelley

Steven Dale Goodman

William Lee Terrell

Charles Douglas Ball

James Stephen Rutledge

Joseph Michael Pennisi

Roger Kenneth Abrams

Scott Thomas Elliott

Akira Hino

Scott Sina Abedi

Dave Carroll Challener

A method and system for ensuring security-compliant creation and signing of endorsement keys of manufactured TPMs. The endorsement keys are generated for the TPM. The TPM vendor selects an N-byte secret and stores the N-byte secret in the TPM along with the endorsement keys. The secret number cannot be read outside of the TPM. The secret number is also provided to the OEM's credential server. During the endorsement key (EK) credential process, the TPM generates an endorsement key, which comprises both the public key and a hash of the secret and the public key. The credential server matches the hash within the endorsement key with a second hash of the received public key (from the endorsement key) and the vendor provided secret. The EK certificate is generated and inserted into the TPM only when a match is confirmed.

Securely creating an endorsement certificate in an insecure environment

A method is presented for implementing a trusted computing environment within a data processing system. A hypervisor is initialized within the data processing system, and the hypervisor supervises a plurality of logical, partitionable, runtime environments within the data processing system. The hypervisor reserves a logical partition for a hypervisor-based trusted platform module (TPM) and presents the hypervisor-based trusted platform module to other logical partitions as a virtual device via a device interface. Each time that the hypervisor creates a logical partition within the data processing system, the hypervisor also instantiates a logical TPM within the reserved partition such that the logical TPM is anchored to the hypervisor-based TPM. The hypervisor manages multiple logical TPM's within the reserved partition such that each logical TPM is uniquely associated with a logical partition.

Providing a trusted platform module in a hypervisor environment

Method for securely creating an endorsement certificate in an insecure environment

An architecture for a distributed data processing system comprises a system-level service processor along with one or more node-level service processors; each are uniquely associated with a node, and each is extended to comprise any components that are necessary for operating the nodes as trusted platforms, such as a TPM and a CRTM in accordance with the security model of the Trusted Computing Group. These node-level service processors then inter-operate with the system-level service processor, which also contains any components that are necessary for operating the system as a whole as a trusted platform. A TPM within the system-level service processor aggregates integrity metrics that are gathered by the node-level service processors, thereafter reporting integrity metrics as requested, e.g., to a hypervisor, thereby allowing a large distributed data processing system to be validated as a trusted computing environment while allowing its highly parallelized initialization process to proceed.

Method and system for hierarchical platform boot measurements in a trusted computing environment

A method and system for ensuring security-compliant creation and certificate generation for endorsement keys of manufactured TPMs. The endorsement keys are generated by the TPM manufacturer and stored within the TPM. The TPM manufacturer also creates a signing key pair and associated signing key certificate. The signing key pair is also stored within the TPM, while the certificate is provided to the OEM's credential server. During the endorsement key (EK) credential process, the TPM generates a signed endorsement key, which comprises the public endorsement key signed with the public signing key. The credential server matches the public signing key of the endorsement key with a public signing key within the received certificate. The EK certificate is generated and inserted into the TPM only when a match is confirmed.

Method for securely creating an endorsement certificate utilizing signing key pairs

A system and method for securing data on a wireless device. A secured zone is defined by a boundary sensor. A data processing system is coupled to the boundary sensor and a wireless device. If the data processing system detects that the signal strength of the wireless device has fallen below a first predetermined value for longer than a second predetermined value, the data processing system deletes a digital certificate corresponding to the wireless device from memory. Thus, when the wireless device is reintroduced into the secured zone, in response to determining that a digital certificate corresponding to the wireless device is not stored in memory, the disabling module disables the wireless device from operation within the secured zone.

System and method of preventing alteration of data on a wireless device

Method and system for providing a trusted platform module in a hypervisor environment

A method and system for remotely storing a user's admin key to gain access to an intranet is presented. The user's admin key and intranet user identification (ID) are encrypted using an enterprise's public key, and together they are concatenated into a single backup admin file, which is stored in the user's client computer. If the user needs his admin file and is unable to access it in a backup client computer, he sends the encrypted backup admin file to a backup server and his unencrypted intranet user ID to an intranet authentication server. The backup server decrypts the user's single backup admin file to obtain the user's admin key and intranet user ID. If the unencrypted intranet user ID in the authentication server matches the decrypted intranet user ID in the backup server, then the backup server sends the backup client computer the decrypted admin key.

Backup restore in a corporate infrastructure

A method, computer program, and system for paging platform configuration registers in and out of a trusted platform module. In a trusted computing platform, an unlimited number of platform configuration registers can be obtained through paging. The trust platform module encrypts and decrypts platform configuration registers for storage outside the trusted platform module.

Scalable paging of platform configuration registers

A Method and system for ensuring security-compliant creation and signing of endorsement keys of manufactured trusted platform modules. The endorsement keys are generated for the trusted platform module (TPM). The TPM vendor selects an N-byte secret and stores the N-type secret in the trusted platform module along with the endorsement keys. The secret number cannot be read outside of the trusted platform module. The secret number is also provided to the credential server of the original equipment manufacturer. During the endorsement key (EK) credential process, the trusted platform module generates an endorsement key, which comprises both the public key and a hash of the secret and the public key. The credential server matches the hash within the endorsement key withy a second hash of the received public key (from the endorsement key) and the vendor provided secret. The EK certificate is generated and inserted into the trusted platform module only when a match is confirmed.

A method for theft deterrence of a computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes a trusted platform module (TPM) and storage medium. The method comprises providing a binding key in the TPM; and providing an encrypted symmetric key in the storage medium. The method further includes providing an unbind command to the TPM based upon an authorization to provide a decrypted symmetric key; and providing the decrypted symmetric key to the secure storage device to allow for use of the computer system. Accordingly, by utilizing a secure hard disk drive (HDD) that requires a decrypted key to function in conjunction with a TPM, a computer if stolen is virtually unusable by the thief. In so doing, the risk of theft of the computer is significantly reduced.

Theft deterrence using trusted platform module authorization

A method for a plurality of key cache managers for a plurality of localities to share cryptographic key storage resources of a security chip, includes: loading an application key into the key storage; and saving a restoration data for the application key by a key cache manager, where the restoration data can be used by the key cache manager to re-load the application key into the key storage if the application key is evicted from the key storage by another key cache manager. The method allows each of a plurality of key cache managers to recognize that its key had been removed from the security chip and to restore its key. The method also allows each key cache manager to evict or destroy any key currently loaded on the security chip without affecting the functionality of other localities.

Key cache management through multiple localities

A computer system is presented which provides a trusted platform by which operations can be performed with an increased level trust and confidence. The basis of trust for the computer system is established by an encryption coprocessor and by code which interfaces with the encryption coprocessor and establishes root of trust metrics for the platform. The encryption coprocessor is built such that certain critical operations are allowed only if physical presence of an operator has been detected. Physical presence is determined by inference based upon the status of registers in the core chipset.

Physical presence determination in a trusted platform

An apparatus, system and method of secure communications from a human interface device are provided. The apparatus, system, and method receive input data and calculate encrypted data from the input data using a secure credential. In one embodiment the apparatus, system, and method request and receive a single instance credential and calculate the encrypted data using the secure credential and the single instance credential. The encrypted data may be a secure authorization that may be valid for one use. Communication of the encrypted data through networks and communicating devices is secure. The encrypted data may not be decrypted even if intercepted without the secure credential. The apparatus, system, and method enable secure communications from the human interface device.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Ryan Charles Catherman