SECAI Core · phase 10 of 15
Trusted platform module
Specification for secure hardware-based storage of encryption keys, hashed passwords, and other user- and platform-identification information.
The Explain card
- Plain English
- A TPM is a specification for a secure hardware chip that stores encryption keys, hashed passwords, and platform identity data, and that can attest to what software booted on the machine.
- Example
- An edge device running a vision model uses its TPM to seal the disk encryption key to a known-good boot state. If someone tampers with the bootloader to swap in a modified model, the TPM refuses to release the key.
- Why it matters
- AI increasingly runs on laptops, robots, and edge boxes that attackers can physically touch. A TPM anchors device identity and integrity so defenders can trust where a model is running.
- Hook
- The chip that swears on oath what the machine booted.
Where it sits in the deck
Phase 10: Identity, Access, and Cryptographic Foundations
Before examining threats to systems, establish the foundational security primitives — identity, authentication, authorisation, and the cryptography underpinning them.
