NTT DoCoMo, IBM, Intel team to secure mobile devices

With an eye towards making mobile devices and the commerce services that run over them more secure, NTT DoCoMo Inc., Intel Corp. and IBM Corp. on Wednesday published a jointly developed security specification called the Trusted Mobile Platform.

It aims to provide an end-to-end security architecture for mobile wireless devices, including hardware and software components and technology protocols, the companies said. It also incorporates security technologies and controls such as tamper-resistant modules, domain separation, and authorization and management protocols, the group said.

Trusted Mobile Platform is designed to protect against viruses and other security threats, allowing phones to be used for more advanced applications like "e-tickets" and "e-wallets" which could be used to pay for goods in stores and online. It includes a protocol to show that a device is a trusted member of a network and can safely be connected to other devices, the companies said.

IBM, Intel and NTT DoCoMo published the specifications online and submitted the Trusted Mobile Platform for review with standards bodies. It remains to be seen whether the major handset providers and other network operators will back the proposal.

Each of the three companies brought different strengths to the partnership: NTT DoCoMo, based in Tokyo, contributed its knowledge of wireless networks; Intel, in Santa Clara, California, applied its knowledge of chips and wireless devices; while IBM, in Armonk, New York, brought its expertise in security and pervasive computing.

The specification is online at http://www.trusted-mobile.org. The companies did not say when it might make its way into devices and were not available for comment early Wednesday.