Root of trust: A set of functions in the trusted computing base with properties that let them be trusted. The Root of Trust serves as a foundation for other system components, ensuring that the hardware, firmware, and software loaded on the system are authentic, unaltered, and, therefore, trustworthy. It is a critical concept in security design to establish a chain of trust, where each component of a system can be validated and trusted based on this root. A root of trust can benefit from Trusted Platform Modules (TPM), Hardware Security Modules (HSM), and root certificate authority servers.
Categories: CC D5: Security Operations | CCSP D2: Cloud Data Security | CISM D3: Information Security Program | CISSP D3: Security Architecture and Engineering | Security+ D1: General Security Concepts | SSCP D5: Cryptography
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