The German government warns the country's authorities against using Windows 8
If you believe the "leakage" of documents from the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), published by Die Zeit , IT experts believe that Windows 8 - a new, sharpened touch-screen, Microsoft's super-duper, but poorly selling OS - bears in itself a serious threat to data security. It allows Microsoft to remotely interact with a computer through the built-in backdoor. The keys to this backdoor, in all likelihood, are in the NSA, and also - which is quite ironic - in the Chinese.
The backdoor is called " Trusted Computing " - a technology developed and promoted by the Trusted Computing Group Alliance, founded ten years ago exclusively by US companies AMD, Cisco, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Wave Systems. Its key elements are a chip (Trusted Platform Module, TPM), and an operating system designed to interact with this chip, such as Windows 8. The Trusted Computing Group developed specifications for the interaction between the chip and the OS.
The goal (officially declared) of this mechanism is to support DRM (digital rights management) and protect computers. The system determines which content or software is received legally and will receive the right to reproduce (execute) on this computer, and which (for example, illegal content or viruses) should be blocked. The whole process will be coordinated by Windows (and through remote access - by Microsoft).
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Recently published new version of TPM specification: TPM 2.0 . While TPM allowed computer users to decide whether to enable or not to use it, TPM 2.0 is enabled by default at the time of launching the PC and cannot be turned off by the user. Microsoft decides which programs can run on a PC, and the computer user cannot influence these decisions in any way. At the same time, the user has no information about the activity of Microsoft on his PC. In essence, Windows 8 users lose control of their PC when they first turn on.
For Microsoft or chip makers, there is no problem transferring access keys to the backdoor to the NSA and thus allowing the agency [also] to manage user systems. NO, Microsoft will never do that !! - we are protesting. Alas, as we could understand from the recent stream of disclosures, Microsoft informs the US government about the detected vulnerabilities in its products long before the “patches” are issued so that the government can manage to take advantage of this information and find out all that it needs.
Experts at BSI, the Ministry of Economy, and the Federal Administration unanimously warn against using computers with Windows 8 and TPM 2.0 support. One of the documents, dated the beginning of 2012, states: "Due to the loss of sovereignty in the field of information technology, the achievement of the objectives of" confidentiality "and" integrity "can no longer be confidently ensured." Among other things, the document states: "This may have serious consequences in the field of IT security of the Federal Administration." And, as a summary: "Using [technology] Trusted Computing in this form ... is unacceptable for the Federal Administration and for operators of critical infrastructure."
Another document claims that Windows 8 in combination with TPM 2.0 is “no longer ... not applicable.” However, "Windows 7 can be safely used up to 2020". By this date, it is necessary to find an acceptable solution for the IT systems of the Administration.
It also follows from the documents that the German government tried to influence the content of the TPM 2.0 specifications - a common practice for processes that last for years - however, it was ignored by key participants. Others have achieved what they wanted, according to Die Zeit. For example, NSA. At one of the most recent meetings of TCG and other stakeholders, some people let it slip: “the NSA agree.”
RĂĽdiger Weiss, Professor of the University of Technology. Boyta (Berlin), and at the same time - an expert in the field of cryptography, who has many years of experience in working with TPM technology, told Die Zeit in an interview that Microsoft is trying to "completely change the essence of IT by introducing special tracking chips to each device." With this chip and Windows 8 components, in particular, Secure Boot, "users, by and large, lose control of their own hardware and software."
However - isn't this an increase in security? “Some aspects, in essence, increase the risks,” he said. For example, in the production process, the private key is generated OUT of the chip, and only then is embedded in the chip. During this process, you can make as many copies of the key as you like. "It is possible that there are even classified legal requirements forcing manufacturers to make such copies." So TPM is the “dream chip for the NSA.”
And even more ominously, he adds: "Another factor adding problems to the user is that chip makers are in China."
Apple left the TPM project in 2009. Linux does not meet standards, and Linux PCs cannot use this technology. Microsoft, on the other hand, brings all possible arguments in its defense. “TPM is activated by default,” they say, “because most users accept all the default settings.” If users had to activate the function manually, the overwhelming part of them would have remained with a less protected system. ” And, of course, the government orders, requiring that users have the ability to disable this technology, Microsoft finds "not quite correct."
Instead, says Microsoft, iron makers could supply PCs with deactivated chips. If you want to control your PC yourself, this is what you need to purchase. Another option would be the acquisition of a PC running Linux, the municipality of Munich began a similar project about 10 years ago and plans to complete it by the end of this year. Such an end to the NSA scandal is unlikely to lead to an increase in Microsoft shares.
The backdoor is called " Trusted Computing " - a technology developed and promoted by the Trusted Computing Group Alliance, founded ten years ago exclusively by US companies AMD, Cisco, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Wave Systems. Its key elements are a chip (Trusted Platform Module, TPM), and an operating system designed to interact with this chip, such as Windows 8. The Trusted Computing Group developed specifications for the interaction between the chip and the OS.
The goal (officially declared) of this mechanism is to support DRM (digital rights management) and protect computers. The system determines which content or software is received legally and will receive the right to reproduce (execute) on this computer, and which (for example, illegal content or viruses) should be blocked. The whole process will be coordinated by Windows (and through remote access - by Microsoft).
')
Recently published new version of TPM specification: TPM 2.0 . While TPM allowed computer users to decide whether to enable or not to use it, TPM 2.0 is enabled by default at the time of launching the PC and cannot be turned off by the user. Microsoft decides which programs can run on a PC, and the computer user cannot influence these decisions in any way. At the same time, the user has no information about the activity of Microsoft on his PC. In essence, Windows 8 users lose control of their PC when they first turn on.
For Microsoft or chip makers, there is no problem transferring access keys to the backdoor to the NSA and thus allowing the agency [also] to manage user systems. NO, Microsoft will never do that !! - we are protesting. Alas, as we could understand from the recent stream of disclosures, Microsoft informs the US government about the detected vulnerabilities in its products long before the “patches” are issued so that the government can manage to take advantage of this information and find out all that it needs.
Experts at BSI, the Ministry of Economy, and the Federal Administration unanimously warn against using computers with Windows 8 and TPM 2.0 support. One of the documents, dated the beginning of 2012, states: "Due to the loss of sovereignty in the field of information technology, the achievement of the objectives of" confidentiality "and" integrity "can no longer be confidently ensured." Among other things, the document states: "This may have serious consequences in the field of IT security of the Federal Administration." And, as a summary: "Using [technology] Trusted Computing in this form ... is unacceptable for the Federal Administration and for operators of critical infrastructure."
Another document claims that Windows 8 in combination with TPM 2.0 is “no longer ... not applicable.” However, "Windows 7 can be safely used up to 2020". By this date, it is necessary to find an acceptable solution for the IT systems of the Administration.
It also follows from the documents that the German government tried to influence the content of the TPM 2.0 specifications - a common practice for processes that last for years - however, it was ignored by key participants. Others have achieved what they wanted, according to Die Zeit. For example, NSA. At one of the most recent meetings of TCG and other stakeholders, some people let it slip: “the NSA agree.”
RĂĽdiger Weiss, Professor of the University of Technology. Boyta (Berlin), and at the same time - an expert in the field of cryptography, who has many years of experience in working with TPM technology, told Die Zeit in an interview that Microsoft is trying to "completely change the essence of IT by introducing special tracking chips to each device." With this chip and Windows 8 components, in particular, Secure Boot, "users, by and large, lose control of their own hardware and software."
However - isn't this an increase in security? “Some aspects, in essence, increase the risks,” he said. For example, in the production process, the private key is generated OUT of the chip, and only then is embedded in the chip. During this process, you can make as many copies of the key as you like. "It is possible that there are even classified legal requirements forcing manufacturers to make such copies." So TPM is the “dream chip for the NSA.”
And even more ominously, he adds: "Another factor adding problems to the user is that chip makers are in China."
Apple left the TPM project in 2009. Linux does not meet standards, and Linux PCs cannot use this technology. Microsoft, on the other hand, brings all possible arguments in its defense. “TPM is activated by default,” they say, “because most users accept all the default settings.” If users had to activate the function manually, the overwhelming part of them would have remained with a less protected system. ” And, of course, the government orders, requiring that users have the ability to disable this technology, Microsoft finds "not quite correct."
Instead, says Microsoft, iron makers could supply PCs with deactivated chips. If you want to control your PC yourself, this is what you need to purchase. Another option would be the acquisition of a PC running Linux, the municipality of Munich began a similar project about 10 years ago and plans to complete it by the end of this year. Such an end to the NSA scandal is unlikely to lead to an increase in Microsoft shares.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/191254/
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