What is TPM1.2?

Looking at a CF-29 and the model number on configurator shows a 1.6 Cen. with 802.11 a/b/g + TPM1.2
I can not find anything on it searching the forums and even google did not come up with an explanation.
Some type of security for the HDD?
Thanks for any enlightenment you can give em.
Rick H...

 

Rick,
Stands for trusted platform module. I've never really looked into it but it can be enabled in the bios and is some sort of security system. You can't have Googled too hard!
https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/groups/tpm/

You will probably never need/use it unless your box is part of a big corporate or government system.
CAP

 

Hello Mate

It is an encryption protocol. Its full explained in the link I have provided for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Platform_Module

Alienware M17
Dual ATI 3870
Dual 500GB 7200RPM HDD
4GB DDR 3 RAM
1920x1200 WUXGA
Intel 5300 450Mbits Draft N

 

Thanks!
I knew it was a type of security deal, however, I should have formed my question better, but in the end Cap answered what I was asking.
If I buy a toughbook with this in it, will I be able to use it [the computer] unrestricted, so as long as the BIOS is not password protected, I can turn this feature off.
Thanks,
Rick H...

 

Rick,
Its a piece of hardware used to encrypt data on the hard drive as I understand it. I've got one in my CF-29 MK4, my CF-30, and I believe in my CF-18. I've never used it, I wouldn't know how. I believe you can encrypt bios passwords with it but I doubt you will have a problem. I've never heard of any one having an issue with one and there are a lot of used machines flowing through these pages!
CAP

 

A TPM does not really have anything to do with encrypting the hard drive, except to hold related secrets. BitLocker can use it to store its password or encryption key (not sure which).

The TPM offers a limited amount of storage - 16 registers, I believe - and a suite of cryptographic functions - such SHA-1 hashing, RSA asymmetric encryption, random rumber generation - so that it can serve as a root of trust for secure communications and anchor a certificate chain for authentication. It does not have the ability to do bulk encryption, such as encrypting all data wrtitten to a hard drive.

A primary intent of a TPM is to measure software. Assume you have installed a known, good copy of an OS. An OS function can develop a signature of critical software components and load them into the TPM. When the OS is subsequently booted, the signatures can be recalculated as those components are loaded. If the signatures match the ones stored in the TPM, the OS is deemed not to have been improperly modified - i.e. infected. Though it was supposed to have done so, I don't believe Vista has actually implemented this yet.

 

English man English!!!!
I have no idea what you just said but thanks for explaining that.
Rick H...

 

Rick,

I apologize. I'll write up something a little more clear tonight.

 

Dave,
Just poking at me! While I know a lot about computers, this is something I know nothing about and so, when you explained it, it went right over my head.
Rick H...

 

I have TMP on about 5 toughbooks and don't know what it is or how to use it lol
I really don't think I am missing out on something really needed

Alex

 

Think of TPM as tumblers on a lock....
ya, im lost too....

 

I too would love a good explanation. I know we are getting into the encrypted hard drives at work and it does interact with the TPM as Dave mentioned, but I honestly don't know how. I just overheard the people working on it say that TPM had to be enabled in BIOS for the hard drive encryption to function. It is not my project and I have too much on my plate to poke my nose into it and learn more.

 

Rick,

Do you recall seeing a little padlock show up on your IE screen when doing a financial transaction online? That is a symbol for secure communications having been established. You might also notice that http://… had turned into https:// ….

In order to get secure communications the two communicating end points have to establish 2 things. They have to authenticate to each other and share a secret that enables encrypted communication. The certificates I mentioned are essentially standardized messages that enable two communicators - your PC and PayPal, for instance – to prove to each other that you are who you claim to be. The crypto functions I mentioned – hashing, asymmetric encryption, random number generation – are the software functions that enable these secure communications to be established.

If you go to Tools-Internet Options-Content-Certificates-Root Certificate Authorities,
You can see some of these certificates on your system.

All this assumes that your PC is secure, of course. If not, malware could usurp these operations and cause you to communicate with someone who is not who you think they are.

The idea behind putting these functions in the TPM is that they would then be protected from malicious software doing bad things like stealing your account information etc. connecting you to something that could steal your money, etc.

Alex/: You have hit on what I think is one of the big frustrations with TPMs for both laptop suppliers and TPM manufacturers. They have been included in almost all laptops today, but nobody is using them. As I mentioned before MS was supposed to be doing so, neither they nor anybody else has done much with them as yet.

That help?

 

TPM? I do beleive I've always seen that on ebay "Toughbook Pats Machine" Is that it? Lol, I'm lost too.


ohlip