TCPA Trusted Computing Platform Alliance or Microsoft Palladium

NOTE: this article was originally written in 2002 but now, in 2005, 'Palladium' has been renamed 'trusted source' and was implemented with the introduction of Windows XP and all current Microsoft programs.

TCPA or Trusted Computing Platform Alliance is a "new computer platform" led by Intel (the CPU chip maker) and supported by "Bill" (Of Microsoft fame). TCPA is the chip's architecture and "Palladium" is Microsoft's name for the software which supports TCPA. TCPA will stop operation of any of your unlicensed software by interacting with "Pallium", to determine if your use is legitimate.

The first obvious application of the technology is DRM (digital rights management), so you can't play DVDS or CDS on your home computer without buying or renting them first.

A second application: sensative material published by the Government,large military or industry complexes will be "classified" and only readable by "their own TCPA machines". Documents, emails or applications can no longer be electronically "leaked" to unauthorized persons.

The danger of this new "TCPA" is that all documents on your home computer can be remotely censored to delete pirated music, or documents that a court (or software company) has decided are offensive - for example an article criticizing a political leader, or allowing you to switch software applications from one company to its competitor's product. For example: Microsoft Word could encrypt all your Word documents, using keys that only Microsoft can understand, that disallow any competitors software from using or reading them. Idle speculation? No, not anymore: Microsoft has reached a compromised settlement with the US Government, despite its monopolistic practices, that is favourable to Microsoft but not to its plaintiffs. Why; because Microsoft has lots and lots of money and controls many influential people in government and industry.

What are the ramifications? How does TCPA work? How can TCPA be easily abused? Can you just turn it off? What is its impact on you and your use of the home/business computer? Next week will answer some of these questions. "TCPA to protect your software" says Bill

TCPA (Trusted Computing Platform Alliance) is the "new" computing platform for the next century and Palladium is the Microsoft software that will enable it on all future windows operating systems.

The first stage of the new TCPA monitor will be enabled by the "Fritz Chip" that checks your computer's software and hardware while the system is booting up. The Fritz chip will maintain a table of all licensed hardware/software that has been approved and certified by their respective vendors. Once the machine is "online" (accessing the Internet), the items are re-certified ( and their usage licenses have not expired) and control is handed over to the "enforcement software", Palladium or your windows certified operating system. Once all software/hardware has been approved you can use your machine as you wish. Once the machine has reached the "operative state" the Fritz chip can certify to third parties that your machine is "suitable" to use their products and running an authorized application program. The ASP (Application Service Provider) will then transmit an encrypted data to run on your machine and its "key" to play it (i.e. CD or DVD player). Of course you can expect to pay for this encryption key which may be good for only one time, each additional request for the same material (repeat performance) but at an additional cost. Thus Disney may authorize you to play their movie once given that your media player has been approved for their application. The received of the temporary service will not make any unauthorized copies of the movie and the Fritz Chip will enforce it. Can you remove the "Fritz Chip" or bypass it? The answer is no! The "Fritz Chip" is soldered to your motherboard and will determine what Operating System you must run, what hardware you must use, and what applications you can access. Are you worried yet? You should be because we haven't yet spoken about "Palladium" a second security level which takes effect after the "Fritz Chip" has imposed its restrictions.

TCPA and the Fritz Chip who benefits?

Certainly not you! TCPA (Trusted Computing Platform Alliance) and the Fritz chip combination will provide bigger profits for the large companies that can establish the authentication of your operating platform (such as Windows or Word) and control compatibility with it, so as to manage which complimentary products you can run on your machine. Paranoid? No; already some mobile phone vendors use authentication to check that their battery is a genuine part rather than a substitute in which case the phone will refuse to recharge it. Some printers already authenticate their replacement cartridges as genuine rather than a clone. If it is a clone the printer downgrades itself from 1200 DPI to 300 DPI. The Sony Playstation 2 uses authentication to ensure the memory expansion cartilage is made by Sony. Car manufacturers now require you to do maintenance of certain parts of your car at the dealership and not your local mechanic.

As of November Microsoft has announced that it will enforce a new "life-cycle support" policy for all its products. Windows 95 will reach its end in December of 2002, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4 will become completely unsupported in June 2004. Support will only be provided for Windows 2000SP3 and Windows XP. As a matter of fact, the Microsoft office 11 suite will only be compatible with Windows 2000 Service pack 3 or Windows XP. It will not run on Widows 95, 98, Millennium or Windows 2000 NT.

TCPA or Palladium will NOT prevent virus infection as viruses exploit the way software applications (such as Outlook or Microsoft Office) use scripting. Spam will NOT be fixed as spam makers will just buy TCPA/Palladium equipped computers. You are better off using your existing spam controls through your mail program.