A User Centric Security Model for Tamper-Resistant Devices

3.3 Frameworks for the ICOM
Element Management and Messaging [104]; both of these specications accommodate the
current trend towards the NFC mobile phone-based services.
3.3.3.1 Why not GlobalPlatform for UCTD?
This question comes to mind, as the GlobalPlatform card specication provides an accepted
and reliable way to manage applications on smart cards in pre- or post-issuance stages,
so why not just have a GlobalPlatform-based smart card whose ownership is with the
cardholder?
This option is workable in a limited scenario where the applications are less critical. The
cardholder would have the same rights as the card issuer in the ICOM. However, the
security issues raised due to the delegation of the ownership that are discussed in the
rest of this thesis are not adequately addressed in the GlobalPlatform card specication.
The reason for this is the underlying assumption in the card specication that the card
issuer (or in user centric cards, the cardholder) is a trusted entity and any other application
provider has to trust them. The security mechanisms implemented on smart cards are also
based on the similar assumption that there is a trusted entity which we can term as the
root of trust. In the smart card industry, the root of trust is usually an organisation that
acts as a smart card issuer. If we give the smart card ownership to the user under the
traditional framework, then the root of trust would be the individual user. The assumption
that each user is trustworthy, might not be easy to ascertain. Therefore, GlobalPlatform,
along with other frameworks of the ICOM, are not only useful in the ICOM but also in the
UCOM. However, they require modication so that they can securely support the UCOM's
requirements.
Similarly, there is an argument that having a TSM-based architecture can provide user
control by making the user the TSM. All application providers are connected with the user
who then installs their applications onto her smart card(s). In reality, this idea is similar to
the open card initiative discussed in section 2.4.2.1. The user-based TSM concept suers
from the same issues, including trusting the user, application provider inability to control
the destination smart card, assurance of security and reliability of the application.
3.3.4 Other Proposals
In this section, we discuss initiatives that were not taken up as enthusiastically as were
those in the previous sections.
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