German Federal Government White Paper on Trusted Computing and Secure Boot

[menotu]

heise Security - 20 November 2012

The German government's Interior Ministry has issued a white paper that outlines the principles that should be applied when dealing with "Trusted Computing" and "Secure Boot", which has been welcomed by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). As a fundamental principle, the government says that it supports raising the level of security on IT platforms in industry, government and with private users with the introduction of trusted computing, but that this must comply with criteria the paper lays out.

Firstly, it says that device owners must be in complete control of the trusted computing security systems in their devices and that delegation of this control to a third party should require "conscious and informed consent" from the device owner. Secondly, the paper requires that devices be delivered with trusted computing security systems deactivated so that users have to opt-in to their use.

The devices' implementations of these solutions must also be sufficiently transparent to enable owners to make responsible decisions over its use and allow for deactivation without a "negative impact" on hardware and software that doesn't use the trusted computing functions.

http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/German-government-advocates-security-in-the-hands-of-users-1753715.html

White Paper link

[Nok]

This can't end well. Fancy doing something so irresponsible as making people think for themselves.   

[ppiklapp]

Really can't see this being real popular.  Making people think that is.  I am surprised some group hasn't started screaming about the idea being anti something (religious, government, etc.).

[Xenaflux]

Fancy doing something so irresponsible as making people think for themselves

Well, it's not so bad !
It can be organized, you know.
Take a family of 6.
One thinks and 5 say Amen.

Or take a school.
One teacher thinks and 1500 students say Amen

What's so bad about thinking.
                                  

[Nok]

Fancy doing something so irresponsible as making people think for themselves

Well, it's not so bad !
It can be organized, you know.
Take a family of 6.
One thinks and 5 say Amen.

Or take a school.
One teacher thinks and 1500 students say Amen

What's so bad about thinking.
                                  

It can all go terribly wrong when the one who is thinking, is thinking the wrong thing.

[ppiklapp]

Fancy doing something so irresponsible as making people think for themselves

Well, it's not so bad !
It can be organized, you know.
Take a family of 6.
One thinks and 5 say Amen.

Or take a school.
One teacher thinks and 1500 students say Amen

What's so bad about thinking.
                                  

It can all go terribly wrong when the one who is thinking, is thinking the wrong thing.

And though I walk through the valley of death I shall fear no evil
For I know their leader is an idiot and his boss a dolt.

--Anon. Soldier

[kjpetrie]

Well, at least the German government takes it more seriously than the British. When I raised the matter with the Office of Fair Trading they said they had to prioritise and this wasn't sufficiently important to consumers to be worth the cost of pursuing it.

[ppiklapp]

Well, at least the German government takes it more seriously than the British. When I raised the matter with the Office of Fair Trading they said they had to prioritise and this wasn't sufficiently important to consumers to be worth the cost of pursuing it.

Well next time ask them how much money they are willing to pay out to techs to cleanse their system of hackers and viruses!  Then bid for the job.  Install PCLinuxOS and your done!