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Caliptra: Driving an Open Standard for Silicon Root of Trust

MarkPapermaster
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Securing computing platforms is a critical requirement in the data center and cloud ecosystem. Hardware-based security, which includes Root-of-Trust (RoT) in silicon, has been a key ingredient in achieving a high level of data protection.

To that end, over the years, companies developed different silicon root-of-trust solutions, from RoT integrated into CPUs to dedicated discrete RoT chips. The different solutions have resulted in a fragmented landscape within the larger ecosystem. This fragmentation created challenges in the ecosystem, with differences in levels of security features that do not always meet the level of assurance expected by customers.

In addition, cloud computing adoption has increased customer demand for confidentiality protection of their sensitive data. Customers also increasingly expect transparency in the way computing platforms encrypt and protect their data; a process in which RoT is a fundamental element.

To address customers’ requirements for computing solutions that include a consistent set of security features, and transparency across the ecosystem, AMD, Google, and Microsoft, joined by NVIDIA, collaborated to define Caliptra, an open standard for silicon RoT, as part of the Open Compute Project (OCP).

Today marks a major step forward in industry-wide collaboration on security with the release of the Caliptra 0.5 specifications by OCP, and the availability of Caliptra 0.5 RTL through the CHIPS Alliance. AMD will continue as an active participant in Caliptra and the Open Compute Project in support of our customers and stakeholders across the ecosystem.

To find out more about the Caliptra specification, including how to participate, please visit: https://www.opencompute.org/documents/caliptra-silicon-rot-services-09012022-pdf.

About the Author
Mark Papermaster is Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology and Engineering responsible for Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) technical direction and product development including microprocessor design, I/O and memory, system-on-chip (SOC) methodology, and advanced research. He led the re-design of engineering processes at AMD and the development of the award-winning “Zen” high-performance x86 CPU family, high-performance GPUs and the company’s modular design approach, Infinity Architecture. He also oversees Information Technology (IT) that delivers AMD’s compute infrastructure and services.