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Open Kernel Labs Blog
February 06, 2008
What is the Difference Between Trusted and Trustworthy?
When talking about software security with embedded system developers I use both the words trusted and trustworthy frequently. In fact in my most recent post I provided an explanation of the term Trusted Computing Base which is an important concept in software security. At first glance it is tempting to think of trusted and trustworthy as being interchangeable terms, but when it comes to talking about software security they are separate and distinct.
In any system where the access to restricted resources and or information must be granted, the recipient of the right to use those resources or information is trusted. When I give my car keys to my 16-year-old son I have made him trusted. When the US government authorizes an individual to view and possess classified information they make that individual trusted. A key aspect of any secure system, including software is the ability to control authorization of access to certain resources.
In this context, trustworthinessis a characteristic that can be applied to a potential recipient of access to controlled resources. In the most general terms that recipient can be a person, an organization, a software program, etc. If my son is trustworthy then my car comes back clean and citation free every time he borrows it.
Applying this idea to software systems in order to provide security it is important to make sure that those software components that are trusted (i.e. have or control access to restricted resources) are also trustworthy.
Rob
Posted by Robert C. McCammon on February 06 at 05:28 PM
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About Robert C. McCammon:
Rob McCammon, Vice President of Product Management, is in charge of overseeing the product roadmap and developing product strategies. With his challenging role and as the father of six, Rob would like to thank the makers of Diet Pepsi Max for allowing him to survive each day. Rob loves music and even when he is jet lagged and sleep-deprived, he would never miss a concert.