News
GlobalPlatform Expands Root of Trust Requirements and Definitions for IoT and Connected Computing
November 2016 by Marc Jacob
GlobalPlatform has published Root of Trust Definitions and Requirements to enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and service providers (SPs) to create, implement and use a Root of Trust to protect their devices and services.
The document provides a detailed technical framework, explaining how GlobalPlatform technology implements two key concepts that are integral to securing the delivery of digital services, regardless of sector:
1) Root of Trust (RoT) – A computing engine and its code, data and keys that is as small as possible and offers secure services to other code (like the operating system and applications) hosted in a device. GlobalPlatform Trusted Execution Environments and Secure Elements already fulfill this function in billions of connected devices like smartphones, set-top-boxes and internet of things (IoT) devices.
2) Chain of Trust – The ability to bind a service to one or more RoTs to offer value added services.
Representatives from the IoT and connected computing industries have worked with GlobalPlatform to develop the technical document as the number and sensitivity of services available through connected devices is growing rapidly.
Several extensions to the functionality of RoTs are included in the requirements document. Firstly, GlobalPlatform supports the process to securely transfer the ownership of a secure component in a multi-stakeholder environment. This is required when a Secure Element manufacturer passes administration ownership of the component to a device manufacturer or car manufacturer, for example. Additionally, with more than one secure component now present in many devices, the combination of multiple ROTs has also been defined.
The document – Root of Trust Definitions and Requirements – is available to download now.
