Overview
A TPM is a 'root of trust' for a computer system. It is a tamper-resistant hardware component that performs cryptographic operations and protects sensitive data from software-based attacks.
Key Functions
- Secure Key Storage: Storing cryptographic keys (e.g., for BitLocker) so they cannot be extracted by the OS or malware.
- Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs): Measuring the state of the system during boot to ensure that the firmware and OS have not been tampered with.
- Remote Attestation: Providing a verifiable report of the system's security state to a remote party.
- Random Number Generation: Providing high-quality entropy for cryptographic operations.
Importance
TPM is a foundational technology for modern security features like Secure Boot, disk encryption, and hardware-backed identity.