Riddle me this...
Why would American Megatrends partner with Wave to enable secure boot reporting and attestation for Windows 8 if Windows 8 included those features? Answer-Windows 8 obviously does not perform those functions, therefore Wave is needed by Windows 8. Secure boot isn't worth much without the ability to report or attest as to the secure boot, whether to a server which will quarantine the infected machine, or to the cloud.
Prediction- we are going to see more announcements concerning Wave and Microsoft.
Building a "chain of trust" requires the collaboration of multiple partners. AMI provides the first step in the trust chain by assuring that the BIOS components are registered and signed prior to the delivery of the platform. As the computer boots, each component reports its status to the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which securely records the status measurements. This provides a critical first step that sets the stage for a more trustworthy computing environment.
Wave constitutes the next link in the trust chain with solutions designed to assure that the integrity of the secure boot is reported and attested to the enterprise network or Cloud service. Wave Endpoint Monitor, currently deployed in beta testing, uses the TPM to report on the success of the secure boot and leverages the chip to prove that the process has executed correctly. Endpoint Monitor can then prove to a Cloud service or to an enterprise application that the PC has booted in a known, good state. If a platform is compromised, IT can determine which machine is infected, and take steps to prevent it from accessing sensitive systems to ensure that critical systems and data remain safe.
"Securing the computer from power on is critical to the defense of intellectual property and the corporate infrastructure," remarked S. Shankar, President and CEO of American Megatrends. "AMI is pleased to provide Microsoft with the foundation of security for Windows 8, and to work with Wave to extend security capabilities that wouldn't have been possible in a legacy environment."
Steven Sprague, Wave's CEO, commented, "AMI and PC manufacturers offer great assurance that the UEFI components are trusted when delivered to the customer. Wave provides IT with a greater level of knowledge and trust in the boot process and assurances that only known devices are on the network. Knowing the identity of the machine and assuring the health of its BIOS represent significant strides forward in combating advanced persistent threats."
AI
