Breaking News -
Security:
AMIBIOS Enables Secure And Trusted
Computing Transactions
American Megatrends Inc, a leading developer of computing and storage
solutions, announced its AMIBIOS8 system software enables secure and
trusted computer transactions by introducing an eModule supporting the TCPA
specification.
A new AMIBIOS8 eModule supporting the TCPA 1.0 specification (Trusted
Computing Platform Alliance) is now available for AMIBIOS customers.
The TCPA, an industry association sponsored by major technology companies
like
IBM, Intel and Hewlett-Packard, has developed a model to reinforce computer
security at the hardware level. The alliance promotes the adoption of a
standardized subsystem on every PC that, guaranteeing the trustworthiness and
integrity of the system, facilitates widespread adoption of Internet-based
transactions. Internet transactions are presently secured at the software
level, mainly by cryptographic techniques.
TCPA provides a way to store critical information on a specialized chip
aside
the main platform processors. The trust subsystem intervenes even at boot up
to verify the system authenticity, integrity and privacy.
The TCPA subsystem consists of two elements:
- The Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a specialized chip or flash part
- Software containing the integrity metrics that ensures the computer's
integrity and trustworthiness. The key system info, protected by cryptographic
hashing, is passed on from TPM to BIOS to the operating system (OS).
As soon as the PC powers on, AMIBIOS starts a fairly long and complex
process. The BIOS boot block addresses the TPM chip that verifies the BIOS
authenticity itself. Then BIOS proceeds to verify the authenticity and
integrity of the OS loader and OS kernel. Finally BIOS passes the integrity
tokens, that identify that PC as a trusted entity, to the OS.
AMIBIOS8 supports TPM devices from ATMEL, Infineon and National
Semiconductor.
About AMI
Founded in 1985, American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) has dedicated its resources
to
providing OEMs, resellers and systems integrators with leading edge computer
technologies.
Privately held, AMI is best known for its BIOS, but it also supplies
state-of-
the-art hardware, software and utilities to over 55% of today's high-tech
manufacturers. AMI offers high-density motherboards, disk subsystems and
innovative storage solutions and is a voting member of the Storage Networking
Industry Association (SNIA). Headquartered in Atlanta, AMI has locations in
the U.S. and throughout the world including Chennai, Munich, Seoul, Taipei and
Tokyo to better serve its customers.
http://www.ami.com
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