The spy in your new computer
p2p news / p2pnet: By the end of this decade, a TPM spy chip will almost certainly be part of your desktop, laptop and even cell phone.
So says Michael Rogers in an MSNBC story which states more than million PCs worldwide already have the “tiny security chip called the Trusted Platform Module, although it is as yet rarely activated”.
Or as Bill Thompson put it, “If you`ve recently bought an IBM ThinkVantage computer, or a Dell Optiplex, or one of a whole range of laptops from Toshiba, HP/Compaq or Samsung then you may have got more for your money than you realised.
“Because inside your shiny new computer is an extra chip called the trusted platform module, or TPM, that can be used to provide a whole range of hardware-based security features. Eventually the TPM will be built into the main processor itself, and if the trusted computing group has its way then you`ll find one in every piece of hardware you own, from mobile phones to TV set top boxes to children`s toys.”
TPM is just another way to describe DRM, Digital Restrictions Management, and it was dreamed up by a group comprising more than 100 firms, Packard, IBM, Microsoft and Sun among them.
“The chip permanently assigns a unique and permanent identifier to every computer before it leaves the factory and that identifier can`t subsequently be changed,” says MSNBC. “It also checks the software running on the computer to make sure it hasn`t been altered to act malevolently when it connects to other machines: that it can, in short, be trusted. For now, TPM-equipped computers are primarily sold to big corporations for securing their networks, but starting next year TPMs will be installed in many consumer models as well.”
But don’t worry too much about not only Bill and the Boyz, but also all the other customer control freaks, breathing down your neck every time you log on.
“Fortunately for those of us who believe that locking-down digital content is a bad idea, and that the flexibility of copyright law is something that should be embraced and not taken away from us, even hardware-based DRM won`t work,” says Thompson.
And that’s because forbuyers to view content, it has to be unlocked. And once it’s unlocked, “then someone, somewhere, will figure out a way to make a copy of the unlocked version. And once an unlocked version leaks onto the network it will be uncontrollable.”
Meanwhile, “We need to ensure that trusted computing remains under the control of the users and isn`t used as an excuse to take away the freedoms we enjoy today,” he states.
Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local political representatives. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance.
Also read:-
MSNBC – Let`s see some ID, please, December 13, 2005
an extra chip – Locked-down digital content?, March 20,l 2005
December 15th, 2005 at 11:41 am
I presume the operating system has to have some part in the operation of the TPM. Why would it not just spur a greater move to Linux or other operating systems, if I felt this was going to impinge on my freedoms I would move to Linux.
December 15th, 2005 at 2:11 pm
from what i’ve read about tpm, if your not using a tpm capable software
you will be able to use the hardware to it’s fullest. Again it’s been a while but I think the processor would work slower, the monitor would be slightly fuzzy, etc. becauses you were not using a tpm cabpable software you were not trustworthy……..
December 15th, 2005 at 2:12 pm
from what i’ve read about tpm, if your not using a tpm capable software
you will NOT be able to use the hardware to it’s fullest. Again it’s been a while but I think the processor would work slower, the monitor would be slightly fuzzy, etc. becauses you were not using a tpm cabpable software you were not trustworthy……
December 15th, 2005 at 3:02 pm
While this is the wet dream of the software and movie/music industry, unless it is mandated by law I can’t picture every single hardware manufacturer cooperating with this. There are a LOT of linux computers out there and if most manufacturers start putting out non linux compatible hardware that leaves a profitable nich market for companies who are producing linux compatible components.
I doubt it will ever happen, but consumers need to stand up as well. Consumers should demand a refund for any computer, TV, DVD player, computer hardware they bought that has DRM where it was not clearly specified on the box that the device had DRM and what the DRM was. From what I have seen that is about 100% of all the DRM infested junk out there.
With all the talk of dishonest “pirates”, where is the honesty in putting unwanted features into consumer goods without notification, or in Sony’s case installing a rootkit on people’s computers, also without clear notification of what is being done and the risks involved?
December 15th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
It may be fixed so that people who write Linux distrubutions would have to buy some damned “security” code signing certificate before their version of Linux will run. Most people will continue to choose to be screwed by Bill and boys, the hardware cartels, and others. They choose to be screwed simply because they do not want to expend some effort in setting up and learning an alternative operating system.
What will likely happen is that when new content comes out, someone who uses Linux, runs older hardware, or both will end up cracking the digital restrictions on the content and then redistribute in to all of the Microsoft punters. I see a money making opportunity here. Why would I take the time to crack the DRM and risk a prison sentence simply to share a file with a Windows user who refuses to spend a minimum effort to get out from under the cartels’ thumb? I most likely would not unless I was somehow paid for my effort. I would very likely add some code to the copied product or do something otherwise in order to receive some rewards for the risk I would be taking.
People may call me unethical for even considering this, but I have been trying to promote Linux for years. Most people do not care to learn anything new and are almost always seeking instant gratification. If hackers want to promote Linux, they should write multimedia formats that are only compatable with Linux and distribute their hacked content in this new format. Once there is a widely preceived reward for using Linux (other than no malware infections and cost-free software), people may begin to switch.
If people want to gain freedom, they should turn of their TV, download a few documents, and start learning. Once people learn how to do things on their own, the cartels can be put in a position where they are no longer needed. Another way to look at this is that people will decide it is not worth their money or effort to view DRM infested products that are basically glorified reruns (”King Kong,” “War of the Worlds” among many others). They decide that viewing non DRM infested entertainment such as “Star Wreck In the Pirkinning,” “The Scene,” “Farmers Jackass,” and many others is a better way to spend their time being entertained.
People have a choice nowdays. The problem is that most people do not know that there is a choice or are too lazy to make a differnt choice. Even minor changes of one’s way of doing things takes some effort. Most people will not make significant changes in the way they do things unless they are forced to do so. Sonner or later, many, many people will be forced into making changes in the way they use their computers and in the way thy are entertained. They will have to change because it will soon become too inconvenient to do things as they have in the past. When people have to pay continueally higher and higher prices for less and less quality entertainment, when people’s computers get slower and slower, and when people get booted by their ISP or get an extortion letter for fileswapping (due to a fileswapping virus) enough times, they will be forced to change.
December 15th, 2005 at 3:25 pm
Well Intels in the TPM “group” is it not? and it’s suppose to become integrated into the chips…. Not sure if AMD is in it or not.
December 15th, 2005 at 3:44 pm
It will not work to spy on you because it is a spyware that can be stopped as if it were a virus.
Any program that tries to verify the TPM can be stopped with a memory resident anti virus program that has the signature of the program that tries to use or access the TPM data. Then anti virus program can then ask for instructions as to what to do, at current time or at all time.
We may wind up with a few million virus signatures on our anti virus databases, but what the heck, a terrabyte hard (and possibly dvd replacements) disks will be standard by then.
One would have never thought that computer makers, software firms and the government would go for the virus/spyware making business.
Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com
December 15th, 2005 at 5:02 pm
yes but I think the hope (hope of the TPm manufactures that is) is if it’s in the OS and Hardware, then it’s implemented before any virus scanning etc is available, and running before such software. Of course this is all being done to “eliminate” spyware and virus’s and not to hide their own virus’s and spyware
December 15th, 2005 at 6:48 pm
That’s Microsoft VIsta you’re referring to. It has a DRM system for audio/video content that will “down-res” anything that it allows you to access without DRM.
The Vista system is only a variation of “Trusted Computing”. Real, full-on TC will involve ISPs refusing internet access to any device that doesn’t have TC installed and turned on.
December 15th, 2005 at 6:51 pm
Yes, AMD is in on it. What’s worse, the full plan calls for ISPs to require it as a condition of internet access. For communications the individual user can trust (not subject to control by outside parties), we will have to resort to ad-hoc, DIY wireless, if it’s still legal then.
December 15th, 2005 at 6:53 pm
The reply is correct. The “trusted computing” system will be able to defeat any attempts to bypass it with software. See my top-level post below with links.
December 15th, 2005 at 6:54 pm
Definitive FAQ here:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html
And this slashdot comment with a possibly realistic workaround:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=171227&cid=14261107
December 15th, 2005 at 6:59 pm
http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+build+computer&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial
December 15th, 2005 at 7:44 pm
is this a bad sign? if they have to put a unique identifier on your machine. what is next
December 15th, 2005 at 9:51 pm
This chip should really be called the “all your ass belong to us module”.
Just about time to start looking for that “last computer I’ll ever buy”…
If this “Trecherous Computing” inititive really becomes the norm I for one will hang up my geek hat permanently and paddle off into the analog sunset.
December 15th, 2005 at 9:53 pm
“Trusted Computing”. From THEIR perspective, that is.
December 16th, 2005 at 2:10 am
good idea, but if Intel and AMD start embedding this stuff in their CPU’s, then this will be much more difficult to avoid.
December 16th, 2005 at 2:14 am
This is unbelievable, truly Orwellian stuff. And it’s all being driven by mega-corporations.
When do consumers and private citizens start to count again?
December 17th, 2005 at 4:51 am
So what happens when i upgrade my pc and get a new mainboard and thus a new tpm chip? Will my bank still know who i am? Will my isp freak out about the “strange” pc trying to logon using my account details? How will i prove to them that i’m still the same person?
How can they enforce having an active tpm chip for getting online? There’s a billion damned pc’s out there some of them over 20 yrs old and still working! Not everyone on the net will ever upgrade their pc. They’d cop a firestorm if they tried to force ppl to upgrade their pc just to get on the net. At the very least a lot of ppl will simply get off it.
Unless you play games, or do something equally demanding any new pc you can buy as of even 5 years ago is as fast as you will ever need. Companies only upgrade their pc’s becase they start to fail en masse after 3 years or so.
As for everyone wondering how to stop it? It’s currently a chip that lives on the mainboard. I’m sure there’ll be info on the net for what chip to look for and how to remove it without killing the board.
Also, what’s to stop ppl swapping tpm chips? Making “mod” tpm chips that change the number it reports every time you start the system up? Probly nothing. It’s just more drm snake oil.
December 17th, 2005 at 8:26 am
Yes! A mod-TPM-chip that either randomizes the code every few seconds or blocks the existing one could be just what we need. As for the possible CPU-integration problem, why not make a cute little interface that sits between the CPU and motherboard socket and either blocks or scrambles the TPM code all the time?
December 17th, 2005 at 8:30 am
This is an outrage! They cannot be allowed to do this!
If I knew Osama Bin Laden’s email address, I’d tell him and his buddies to blow up every office and factory of the Trusted Computing member companies worldwide, maybe also suggest assasinating all government officials worldwide who support this crap, too.
December 17th, 2005 at 10:56 am
Ok, the computer will not allow the copying of copyrighted material, such a a song cd track. The computer, to distinguish between a copyrigted song cd and a non copyrighted song cd must get some information from the CD. Let us say that the copyrighted song cd has a signature file that tells “do not copy” to the computer. Let us say the processor can go directly to read the signature file where the operating system is bypassed. Then the computer will not allow the songs to be copied into a blank cd. Up to here the TPM is working.
But what happens when the songs are to be played on a player such a Musicmatch. Once the songs are played by Musicmatch the songs can be saved to a non protected file by Musicmatch and then burned into a CD by Musicmatch itself. If on the other hand, Musicmatch is revised so that “do not copy” signature is maintained on the copyrighed songs and thereafter Musicmatch will not copy the songs, surely an equivalent player that ignores the “do not copy” signature will come along.
It would seem that the way to stop burning altogether would require that the song cannot be played at all. Are we not back to the principle, if it can be heard, it can be copied?
December 17th, 2005 at 4:47 pm
Lifetime learning sucks!
December 19th, 2005 at 10:19 am
good idea for people who steal computers, very easy to steal peoples money or id with this. I’ll make sure to keep building my computers from now on. Down with DRM and TPM. Freedom is not to be taken lightly, screw these corporations.