Yes, the Root of Trust Helps Secure Wireless Access Too

Here at TCG, we’ve been talking a lot lately about the benefits of the root of trust. That’s because at the foundation of computing, most of our devices, networks and applications are inherently untrustworthy. In our continued quest to connect everything from the office PC to the factory to home thermostats, we forgot that somewhere, somehow, we must ensure that private data and communications should be protected.

The root of trust helps do just that. By building devices that can be “trusted,” other services and devices can then operate with assurance.

A recent article from TCG highlights one timely and important use for trust - to secure access of mobile devices over wireless networks. Most of us routinely connect wirelessly, despite potential risks.

The article notes “...mobile computers usually have a Wireless Network adapter that can connect to wireless network access points (WAP). A WAP can be connected to the Internet or to the corporate intranet and it can be configured to authenticate a user. Also, a WAP can provide secured connections to prevent eavesdropping.

In a network setup with a single WAP, a Pre Shared Key (password) is configured in the WAP wireless configuration. The same password is entered on the laptop during the wireless network setup. This password is used to authenticate a WAP client and to secure the connection. In networks with multiple WAPs, the configurations and authentication method is centrally managed.”

Read here and learn more about how this works and how enterprises can work with existing tools and technologies.