Trusted computing: providing security for peer-to-peer networks

In this paper, we demonstrate the application of trusted computing to securing peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. We identify a central challenge in providing many of the security services within these networks, namely the absence of stable verifiable peer identities. We employ the functionalities provided by trusted computing technology to establish a pseudonymous authentication scheme for peers and extend this scheme to build secure channels between peers for future communications. In support of our work, we illustrate how commands from the trusted computing group (TCG) specifications can be used to implement our approach in P2P networks.