TPMs (Trusted Platform Modules) are part of a trusted computing ecosystem, where the secure processor is mounted on the computer motherboard to protect against software attacks, theft or tampering. It guards sensitive data such as keys, passwords and digital certificates. The industry alliance, Trusted Computing Group, says almost all enterprise PCs, servers and various embedded systems have a TPM inside. The ST33TPM12LPC increases the strength of this hardware-based security as the first TPM to feature a 32bit secure processor, surpassing existing standalone implementations, says STMicroelectronics. The device can handle advanced cryptography algorithms and be ready to support the next-generation TPM 2.0 standard. It complies with the TCG's TPM certification programme and achieves common criteria security certifications based on the TPM 1.2 Protection Profile at EAL4+ level. Versions with other communication interfaces, such as I2C and SPI will be announced to enablemobile phones, tablets, home gateways, smart meters, industrial controls and automotive electronics. The SoC incorporates an ARM SC300 32bit secure processor capable of supporting SHA1 and SHA2 hash algorithms; AES and which is ready for TPM 2.0. There is also an embedded 90nm, non-volatile memory and a low pin-count interface.
