Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) vs Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

PTT vs TPM: Navigating the New Landscape of System Protection

In the dynamic realm of digital security, Intel’s Platform Trust Technology (PTT) has made a significant entrance, challenging the longstanding prominence of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) as the benchmark for safeguarding computers, industrial PCs, and servers.

TPM has been the cornerstone of hardware security, its standards and interfaces laying down the blueprint for system fabricators to embed their digital credentials into their hardware physically. However, with the advent of PTT, there’s a notable shift on the horizon.

Understanding the Trusted Platform Module – TPM

TPM stands out by integrating unique cryptographic keys into a physical unit fused onto the motherboard. This setup establishes what experts call the “root of trust,” enabling operating systems, like Microsoft’s, to provide secure, whole-disk encryption that safeguards data even outside the system, and to conduct system checks that affirm boot code integrity at the lowest level.

Deciphering the Platform Trust Technology – PTT

While TPM is a hardware-based solution, Intel’s PTT revolutionizes this approach by integrating TPM’s functions into system firmware. To the end-user, PTT provides the same trust capabilities as TPM without the need for a dedicated processor or memory — it utilizes secure access to the system’s central processor and memory for authentication and verification tasks.

The introduction of PTT marks its application in lower-powered PCs, tablets, and more — devices historically hindered by hardware TPM’s cost, complexities, power demands, or spatial requirements. Now, these devices can offer robust security, thanks to PTT’s firmware-based approach.

TPM vs. PTT: Elevating Industrial Security

Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) has become a game-changer in the industrial computing landscape, empowering organizations to enforce the same high-level security measures on smaller, fanless industrial PCs as they do on traditional desktops, workstations, and servers. In environments where industrial computers may operate autonomously in distant or public locations, PTT technology significantly reduces the risk of system vulnerabilities.

The balancing act that IT managers once performed between selecting either energy-intense, secure computers or space-saving, energy-efficient ones is now a thing of the past. The innovation of computers incorporating Intel PTT has resolved this dilemma.

Contact BVM

Seize the security and versatility that comes with advancements in system protection. For all your industrial and embedded computing requirements, trust BVM’s 30 years of expertise in supplying, designing, and manufacturing hardware solutions. Connect with us today — our sales team is ready to assist you at 01489 780144 or via email at sales@bvmltd.co.uk. Secure your assets with confidence and the support of BVM.