Bringing Roots of Trust to Reality

Abstract:

One of the key themes in the security community over the last few years has been how to create a strong root of trust, particularly in the mobile space. After all, a strong root of trust enables a wide variety of capabilities across a number of industries. Some researchers have responded to this call with various solutions across the mobile and traditional computing worlds, while other researchers have shown how we can use these technologies in various protocols and system designs.

Yet, at the same time, mobile devices with a root of trust -- strong or not -- are rare. Further, if you speak to mobile device manufacturers, as we have, this rarity is not going to change any time soon. The truth is that there is no market for a strong root of trust in the mobile ecosystem, and without that market, there is no motive for an OEM to spend the time and money integrating a "useless" new technology.

Galois is currently working with the Department of Homeland Security to change this. Our thesis is that the only way to change this fact -- the only way to bring mobile roots of trust into commercial relevance -- is for the community to start building applications that call for a root of trust. If such apps exist, even if they use a weak root of trust, then we can, perhaps, kickstart a market.

Biography:

Dr. Adam Wick is a Research Lead at Galois, Inc., who specializes in systems software and mobile security. In the last several years, he has designed and lead projects in secure mobile communications for the United States Marine Corps, the proper operations of unmanned vehicles for the Air Force, secure operating system design for the Intelligence Community, and, in this project, mobile roots of trust for the Department of Homeland Security. He is the co-inventor of Galois's CyberChaff cyber defense solution, one example of his specialization in transferring cutting-edge research technologies into practice. Dr. Wick received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Utah in 2006.