TCPA - Palladium Technology - closer grip on PC users

C

CarpeDiem

Jedi Council Member
TCPA (Trusted Computing Platform Alliance) and Palladium Technology


Keywords to do googling - yahooing: TCPA, TCG, NGSCB, Palladium

Sites:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html Ross Andrsen TCPA FAQs in English
http://www.complessita.it/tcpa/ Ross Andrsen TCPA FAQs in Italian
www.againsttcpa.com in english
www.no1984.org in English, few links are still empty (or dead?)
www.radiolinux.info in English

http://www.italy.indymedia.org/archives ... re_id=2655 in italian
http://punto-informatico.it/p.asp?i=58502&r=PI in italian
http://alex321.splinder.com in Italian
http://www.alessandropagano.net in Italian and English, detailed IT-info
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/mai ... d_com.html
http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/02/15/trust ... rd_drives/
mathcs.sjsu.edu/faculty/stamp/CS265/projects/.../TrustedComputing.ppt

Trusted Computing:
Project promoted by Trusted Computing Group (TCG) - Microsoft, Intel, IBM, HP and AMD to force PC users to use exclusively "trusted" products. You can't decide by yourself any longer what is trusted and what not-trusted. But it isn't necessary, as ptb will decide for you. In effect, you are being removed from complete effective control of your PC, which is passed on to TCG or to whoever had written software which you use (security kernel "Nexus" - chip Fritz and NCA - verification of authorization / registration or revocation of registered numbers; re-certification). Nexus will work with CPU to impede one TC-application reading data of other TC-application - Lagrand Technology (LT) for CPU Intel and TrustZone for ARM.

The system is indeed protected from everything what ptb consider potentially damaging to user. Authors claim to increase our security and tighten hold on pirates. But this project introduces direct internet censorship, elimination of free software (being obliged to pay for authorization codes no authorized software will be free), no more possibility to share files (bye-bye blogs!), and to where to buy PC-products (CD/DVD will be not playable outside of purchase region and likely not bar-able to other users - you will be not able to use back-up copy)

This scenario may seem being Orwellian, as Palladium computers will have chip Fritz (smartcard and hardware key on motherboard) which will decide what is good to you - from software and files you store locally to internet pages you visit. Chip is named Fritz in honour of senator Fritz Hollings from South Carolina who worked hard in Congress to make TC an obligatory component of any electronic appliance http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature ... index.html - U.S. prepares to invade your hard drive.

TC could be used for major control of access to confidential documents. Windows server 2003 embodies "embryos" of this feature as "Enterprise rights management":
-automatic destruction of documents within certain timeframes
- company's internal docs will be readable only by authorized PC from inside company (and for certain period of time) and insider info will be not exportable via e-mails, attachments (useful for whistleblowers indeed!) .
The same will apply to @-accounts of "armed peacekeepers" and they will be not able to send insider info to newspapers.
- your superior will be able to delete any dangerous @-mail from its receiver mailbox, no matter to whom you sent it.
- standartization of micropayments, e-payments and e-billings; payments per minute of audio heard and per page of book read which will lead to skyrocketing of our bills to pay (http://www.broadbanduk.org/news/bsg_pre ... _07_03.htm)
History of internet pricing: http://www.dtc.umn.edu/~odlyzko/doc/his ... ions1b.pdf
On-line purchases for non-TC users (Mac and Linux fans) will be questionable at least.

Student Mario Strasser from ETH, Zurich made his semester thesis on Linux TPM emulator:
Original link was here:
http://developer.berlios.de/projects/tpm-emulator for Linux
I checked it today - it doesn't work any longer - But it still works when you type in yahoo

"The project aims to create a fully working Trusted Platform Module (TPM) emulator"
And display results in a cashe mode
Pdf file: http://www.infsec.ethz.ch/people/psevin ... 0emulator'

Mirror here: www.sirrix.de/content/pages/Projects.htm


From http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html:
The informational self-determination isn't existing anymore, it's not possible to save, copy, create, program, ..., the data like you want. This applies for privates as for companies
- The free access to the IT/Software market is completely prevented for anyone except the big companies, the market as we know it today will get completely destroyed
- Restrictions in the usage of owned hardware would apply
- The liberty of opinion and the free speech on the internet would finally be eliminated
- The own rights while using IT-technologies are history.
- The national self-determination of the der particular countries would be fully in the hands of the USA
- Probably the world would break into two digital parts (Countries that express against TCPA)

List of Hardware TC-compliant
http://www.no1984.org/Hardware_TC-compliant
List of Software TC-compliant
http://www.no1984.org/Software_TC-compliant
list of known Trusted Platform Module (TPM) manufacturers and implementations
http://www.tonymcfadden.net/tpmvendors.html

articles:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_computing

America's war on the web - by Neil Mackay The Sunday Herald April 2, 2006
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=4354
www.sundayherald.com/54975 - original

Transmeta integriert TCPA-Funktionen in Crusoe-Prozessor
Kryptographie-Beschleunigung und gesch
 
This may be completely unrelated, but just last night on my home PC, I was prompted to install a Windows Update that consisted of a program that would "verify the validity of my Windows Operating System, and if it was not valid, I would be directed how to purchase a valid copy". I know that Windows has many ways of validating it's programs and that they have the most difficult to deal with liscensing system that I have ever had the displeasure of interacting with, but this 'windows update' was a new one - the phrasing was odd, as if everything on my computer belongs to MicroSoft, and they will be checking on it all and letting me know if I need to pay more money to use what I'm using.
Of course, I realize that it is naive to think that this has not been, to one degree or another, the case all along - it was just an odd software update, in my opinion. Perhaps it is simply building the groundwork for the implementation of what CarpeDiem is describing above - who knows?
 
Anart, it was probably meant to check if you have a pirated version of your OS. But I'd be suspicious of this update, there's no reason for it. If someone did have a pirated OS they would be a fool to install that update! :P
 
beau said:
Anart, it was probably meant to check if you have a pirated version of your OS. But I'd be suspicious of this update, there's no reason for it. If someone did have a pirated OS they would be a fool to install that update! :P
Click to expand...
MS has been turning up the heat under the pretense of piracy for quite some time. Even the newest version of MS Office will include this "genuine" check, as will the upcoming Windows Vista. As it stands now, if you don't validate the genuineness then you can't get certain software updates.

I think the reason for all this is related to psychopathic corporations, whose primary interest is profits (reminds me of Ferengi ! ) The reason is also related to increasing control over our computers and what we access (frogs in a pot of water comes to mind). I see a trend towards subscription-related software, or "Software as a service" as the computer industry terms it. It's possible that in the future most people would have a small boot shell that helps connect to a Web site where everything is controlled by the manufacturer, e.g. MS et al. Those who can pay and meet demands might have standalone capability that we now enjoy and take for granted. Somewhere along the line they'd have to deal with open source and specifically Linux and OpenOffice. That's easy enough to address with digital ID cards and alleged "national security concerns."

MS had some reason to code name a future operating system "Black Comb," and when I think about it I get this image of clone-like jackbooted people marching in step...
 
mark said:
Somewhere along the line they'd have to deal with open source and specifically Linux and OpenOffice. That's easy enough to address with digital ID cards and alleged "national security concerns."
Click to expand...
Yes, and the saddest part of it is that forcing customers to purchase propietary software and/or hardware is going to make the price go invariably up. That was always the biggest positive of the open source software such as Linux, it was good for us and not for Big Business. And when seen in the context of tighter control over the Internet, we can really see how, in this situation, business and government are connected. Sooner or later Microsoft is just going to be a government sub-contractor for all the needed security measures.

This also sheds some light on why all those nasty viruses keep being generated and sent to users. It certainly helps the elites if more security is needed, and actually demanded, by the very predictable(and gullible) public. The government can set the standards which can only be met by the big corporations. It's SOP for them, create a problem that generates a reaction and then introduce the solution which is what they wanted from the start.
 
Hi guys-

This does indeed seem to be the "trend" where you are going to have to "pay" for everything. I first came across this when my favourite websites for downloading demo versions of PC games suddenly started going to "suscribers only"- I mean the whole purpose of a "demo" is to let you try before you buy-but now you have to pay a "subscription" fee just to get a demo? Fooey!

And these so called demos that only play for 5 or 10 minutes and then shut off-making you buy the full version if you want to continue play? Baloney!

The "big guys" will make it so anyone using an open source OS like Linux-or even alternate browsers like our beloved Firefox will not be able to do anything-they will be locked out because their software is not "recognized"

No doubt they will go so far as to create code which will shut you down-a "terminator" which can be delivered any number of ways if they suspect you are running any dicey programs, file sharing on a peer to peer network and so on.

I'm just waiting for them to put out a "snoop" that will see if you have a DVD backup program loaded on your machine like DVD Shrink-and Nero DVD burning software-and automatically disables it if it sees it there-or reports you to the DVD Copy Cops or some silly stuff.

Yep. Big Brother is watching-and gettin' rich doing it.

Looks like we "anarchists" will have to build our OWN web from scratch-and our own hardware.

Where there's a will, there's a way.
 
more articles on TCPA

Can you trust your computer?
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/can-you-trust.html by Richard Stallman - in english, spanish, german

Palladium and the TCPA
http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0208.html by Bruce Schneier - in english, list of links

Palladium de Microsoft:
 
beau said:
Yes, and the saddest part of it is that forcing customers to purchase propietary software and/or hardware is going to make the price go invariably up. That was always the biggest positive of the open source software such as Linux, it was good for us and not for Big Business.
Click to expand...
The pyramid makers versus the circle makers...

beau said:
Sooner or later Microsoft is just going to be a government sub-contractor for all the needed security measures.
Click to expand...
They are pushing real hard for that already, and have made plenty of inroads. The whole monopolisitc trial crap about MS was little more than smoke and mirrors--"put out the match before the blaze ensues" sort of thing.

beau said:
This also sheds some light on why all those nasty viruses keep being generated and sent to users. It certainly helps the elites if more security is needed, and actually demanded, by the very predictable(and gullible) public. The government can set the standards which can only be met by the big corporations. It's SOP for them, create a problem that generates a reaction and then introduce the solution which is what they wanted from the start.
Click to expand...
My thoughts are similar. In the last few years the industry has created two new billion dollar markets: anti-spam and anti-spyware. Meanwhile they both serve as a platform for more laws, which can also be used as revenue streams for big corps via civil suits (MS, AOL, and others make mega-bucks suing spammers et al) .

I use MS stuff because I can't afford a new Mac computer and I have little ambition at the moment to go with Linux full time. I have it loaded, but it's a tool, not a staple for me. Even now there are slow moves to create bad air around Apple which will lead to mega-industry/mega-bux around Mac security. Create the problem, sell the solution.

While I'm at it here I'll add that if Bill Gates is a philanthropist then I'm Ghandi!

.
 
I have read about the 'trusted computing' issue before (with a sinking feeling, I might add), and I think the most important issue has not yet been mentioned on this thread and that is the following:

edit: actually, it WAS talked about at the start of the thread, but then there was a fair bit of talk about malign software, and I think it is easy to miss the main point.

the problem is NOT just of pathocratic software that does all of the stuff mentioned above re. updates/licencing/spyware etc.


The problem is that the HARDWARE is being developed (has already) so that at a certain point in time, PC manufacturers can switch on a little feature that resides, (hidden for the moment but already implemented and deactivated) in all our PCs so that every new PC that is made will not be ABLE to run any OTHER software, other than that which has been deemed 'trustworthy' , get this - not by you the user, but by the industry, so presumeably that also means by the government/PTB/whoever.

That means that if you were to go out and write your OWN operating system or whatever software. No-one (including yourself) would be able to run it, without an official 'all clear' from whatever governemnt agency which would give it a licence/clearance code of 'trustworthiness'. Otherwise, your CPU would just block the code, and not execute it.

So you don't get to decide what to 'trust' on your own PC, the government instead, gets to decide what it will 'trust' you to run. The implications of this are just astounding. Try to imagine it, if you will.

That amounts to a complete and total lockdown of all software, executed from within the HARDWARE - within the CPU itself, so there is no get-out. I imagine that this will only be a matter of time. Keep hold of your 'pre-lockdown' PC's folks!
 
sleepyvinny,

here I did miss a point (a big one!!!), could you please elaborate on this? What feature are you writing about?
Does that mean we really gotta return back to IBM 86 as John Titor or whoever was talking about?
 
hi Carpediem

sorry, my post was a bit confused - it was late, and I was tired, and i re-edited it about 3 times ;-)

I don't think you did miss a point. The point I was trying to make was that CPUs currently being produced already have this 'feature' built into them already, (although permanently disabled), and I believe they have done for some time now. so we are ALREADY several steps into the 'game'. There is some kind of encryption/blocking that is set at the CPU microcode level, and I believe this is the same thing referred to as the 'Trusted Computing' issue.

As far as I know, it is disabled in current manufacturing runs, by a jumper-setting or an extra circuit-link or something, and that is fine, because it cannot be altered without a soldering iron. However, it is only a matter of a tiny tweak to the manufacturing process, and all NEW PCs could be locked-down. So, it doesn't really affect existing pcs (i think, not sure anymore) but could easily effect new ones, with almost no effort. I believe there is a similar technology in cellphone cpus.

I don't think we need a John Titor 'rescue mission' back to the 80s, but I would certainly hang onto any pentium III's you might have.

Vin
 
I could be wrong, but my understanding is that any built-in feature for content management would have to work in conjuction with whatever operating system is installed on the machine. I would imagine that if you were clever enough, you could figure out a way to get around the software side of the restriction on a local machine. Granted, it wouldn't be easy, but I'm fairly certain it could be done, particularly if you have access to a CPU reference manual and assembler for whatever CPU you're using.

Back in college I was converting 6809 assembly to machine code, and since machine code is the only way for the operating system to communicate with the hardware, it should be possible to modify the machine code to override any OS restrictions. Chances are, the OS itself would restrict any changes to any kernel files, but you could probably get around that by using a mini OS to boot into the machine, make the necessary changes and reboot using the primary OS. It's probably likely that the OS would monitor itself for external changes like that so you would proably have to delve into the OS to look for hash values or whatnot, so it could be pretty involved.

Alternately, you could look into using a fully open source operating system. This doesn't even begin to touch issues from a networked environment, however.

It's probably safe to say that unless you are a die hard hacker (not just a script kiddie), it will be more trouble than it's worth to get around the trusted computing implementation, and that's probably what the PTB are counting on.
 
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