Which term describes a hardware module designed to securely store keys and enable attestation?

• A. NVMe.
• B. RAID Controller.
• C. Backplane.
• D. Trusted Platform Module for secure key storage and attestation.

Answer: (D)

A hardware module that securely stores keys and enables attestation is a Trusted Platform Module, a dedicated hardware root of trust. It securely generates, stores, and uses cryptographic keys in isolation from the main processor and memory, and it can perform cryptographic operations and produce attestations that prove the system’s current boot state and software measurements. This attestation is typically done by quoting measurements stored in PCRs (Platform Configuration Registers), allowing a remote party to verify that the platform hasn’t been tampered with. The TPM can also seal data to a specific measured state, meaning data can be unlocked only when the system is in a trusted configuration. The other options don’t provide these security functions: NVMe is a storage interface, RAID controllers manage disk redundancy, and a backplane is an interconnect for components.