Windows Vista and Trusted Computing
I found two services of Windows Vista that testimoniate how trusted computing will be used to control user, and he can found nothing
Few people knows that Windows, as all other operating systems, has services, that are some features that start with the operating system with privileges different than the user that log in.
In Vista I found two services (my system is in italian language):
Servizi di base del TPM
Gestione Licenze Software
TPM is a chip that actually is placed in some Mother boards and after will be placed into CPUs. It will be used to make CPU work with encrypted data.
The first service is the driver for that chip. It's no so bad, in fact is a good thing using an encrypted connection with our home banking system, and even BitLocker (a system for make more secure ciphrated file systems) that is implemented in Vista is not a bad idea.
But the most worrying thing is the second: I made some tests.
If gestione licenze software is disabilitated, and vista contacts Microsoft's servers, the WGA will not be superated, and vista works in reduced modality: the features disabilitated depend on various factor, but are always the same until the wga will be positive.
I found even that if WGA fails because the service is disabled, it cannot be enabled in the same session.
There are even other services with uncertain functionality:
Isolamento chiavi CGN
Gestione chiavi e certificati d'integrità
Programma installazione dei moduli di windows
There is even another service that can be useful to some companies, schools etc but is worrying for normal people:
1. Gestione remota windows it allows remote control of our computer, but it can be disabled.
Changelog
12/04/09: Article was submited to new FSFE Fellow site
08/06/07: Article released on FSFE Fellow site