Verification key handling

#The invention relates in general to trusted computing, and in particular, though not exclusively, to verification key handling in trusted computing.

#Today's mobile phones typically serve as computing platforms for software and firmware that is supplied by a number of vendors. For example, a device manufacturer supplies the device with software and/or firmware that enables the operation of different components of the device, such as the radio interface and smart card reader modules, while an application processor manufacturer supplies the software and firmware related to the operation of the application processor. Furthermore, an operating system and user applications may be supplied by one or more software vendors.

#There are factors that impose strict requirements on the security and integrity protection of the mobile computing platform and/or software and firmware run on the platform. For example, usage of radio frequencies is highly regulated by authorities. Another example is the prevention of device hijacking so that the mobile device cannot be used anonymously for malicious purposes. This means, that a mobile device operating as a computing platform needs to be able to control the operation of software running on the mobile device such that e.g. unauthorized modification of radio configuration parameters can be prevented.

#The invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 shows a general overview of a trusted mobile platform on which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented;

#FIG. 2 shows another general overview of a trusted mobile platform on which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented;

#In the following description, like numbers denote like elements.

#Reference is made to FIG. 1, which depicts a general overview of a trusted mobile platform on which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. FIG. 1 shows three engines 100, 101, 102. Each engine may comprise a dedicated processor or a run-time environment that has access to trusted resources. Each engine may run both trusted services and normal services. Trusted services are services that are instantiated by using and modifying trusted resources of a computing device, such as a mobile phone. Trusted resources are resources, whose integrity can be verified e.g. by using an authentication key.

#The engine 100 of FIG. 1 may be configured to provide cellular services, such as cellular protocol stacks required for an access to a mobile communication network, to the application services engine 101 via an interface 114. The cellular services engine 100 may comprise a conventional cellular services module 105, a trusted services module 108, and a mobile trusted module 111. The cellular services module may use the services of the trusted services module 108 via the application programming interfaces (APIs) 115 and 116, and the mobile trusted services module 108 may in turn access the services of the mobile trusted module 111 via the interface 120.