Security Beneath the Software

Dual Root of Trust Architecture

The PSM tile implements a parallel dual-root architecture — EGP for Alloy OS deployments and Microsoft Pluton 2.1 for Windows compatibility. This design enables enterprise flexibility: customers can deploy Alloy OS exclusively with EGP's hardware attestation model, or maintain a Windows dual-boot with Pluton, or select a hybrid strategy. Each root maintains separate key stores, measurement chains, and firmware binding mechanisms.

For Xeon 500 class deployments, this dual-root model is essential. It eliminates vendor lock-in at the hardware security boundary while ensuring FIPS 140-3 and NIST SP800-193 compliance across both ecosystems.

Eventide Guardian Protocol (EGP)

EGP is the hardware security foundation of the Alloy OS ecosystem. Unlike software-based TPMs or firmware-mediated security, EGP resides on the PSM tile itself with a dedicated power domain, executing independently of the main processor, operating system, hypervisor, or bootloader. EGP cannot be disabled, downgraded, or compromised by any host-side firmware or software attack.

Core Functions

Microsoft Pluton 2.1

Microsoft Pluton 2.1 is a dedicated security processor integrated into the CPU die, operating independently of the main cores. It provides hardware-rooted TPM 2.1 functionality without reliance on discrete chips or firmware subsystems that could be compromised.

Key Capabilities

• Hardware Credential Storage: Encryption keys, certificates, and passwords are sealed in hardware. Extraction requires Pluton's private key, which is never exposed even in kernel dumps.
• BitLocker Key Isolation: Windows disk encryption keys are stored in Pluton. Even with administrator privileges, BitLocker keys remain inaccessible to Windows processes.
• Windows Hello Hardware Root: Biometric credentials are bound to Pluton hardware. Cloned or VM-based identities cannot forge Hello authentication.
• Firmware Updates via Windows Update: Pluton firmware is updated through the Windows Update infrastructure, ensuring synchronized security patches across enterprises.
• Physical Memory Attack Resistance: Pluton memory is isolated from the main processor and RAM. DMA attacks, cold-boot attacks, and hardware probes cannot extract Pluton data.
• FIPS 140-3 Level 2 Certified: Pluton meets federal cryptographic standards for classified and sensitive government workloads.

Intel Converged Security & Management Engine (CSME 2.0)

Intel CSME 2.0 is a discrete management processor embedded on the PSM tile. It provides out-of-band access, hardware DRM enforcement, and secure firmware loading for all other processor tiles — including compute, I/O, and memory controllers.

Core Functions

Intel vPro & Threat Detection Technology (TDT)

vPro is Intel's managed platform certification, mandatory for Xeon 500 class deployments. It bundles AMT, hardware virtualization, and threat detection. Threat Detection Technology (TDT) is the newest vPro component — an AI-driven security system that detects ransomware, cryptojacking, and supply chain attacks before they reach the OS.

Threat Detection Technology (TDT)

TDT combines a dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) on the PSM tile with hardware performance monitoring. It continuously observes processor activity — cache behavior, memory access patterns, execution timing — looking for anomalies consistent with ransomware encryption, mining loops, or fuzzing activity.

Detection Coverage

• 150+ MITRE ATT&CK Behaviors: TDT models cover execution, privilege escalation, defense evasion, and exfiltration tactics from the MITRE framework.
• Ransomware Encryption Detection: Rapid repeated memory writes + encryption instructions trigger alerts before file systems are compromised.
• Cryptojacking Detection: Long-running AES/SHA loops with cache patterns consistent with mining trigger alerts.
• Supply Chain Attack Detection: Unusual code injection, DLL side-loading, and module load anomalies are flagged for inspection.
• Hardware-Immune Detection: TDT sees behavior that OS-level EDR cannot — memory access patterns, cache behavior, raw CPU cycles — enabling detection of attacks that evade userspace monitoring.

vPro Platform Requirements

• Active Management Technology (AMT): Out-of-band management and provisioning.
• VT-x & VT-d: Hardware virtualization and DMA remapping for hypervisor deployments.
• Intel Trusted Execution Technology: Hardware-protected execution enclaves.
• Control-Flow Enforcement Technology (CET): Hardware protection against return-oriented programming (ROP) and jump-oriented programming (JOP) exploits.
• Threat Detection Technology: NPU-assisted anomaly detection.

Additional Security Features

Beyond EGP, Pluton, CSME, and TDT, the PSM tile integrates an ecosystem of security technologies designed to protect against firmware attacks, memory attacks, and code injection:

PSM Tile Specification

Key Use Cases