BIOS Flashcards
What is secure boot?
a security feature implemented in modern computers (those running windows 8 and later) that helps protect the boot process from unathuthorized and potentially malicious software. It works by ensuring that only trusted and digitally signed software components are allowed to run during the system startup process.
what does secure boot do?
it verifies the bootloader, checks the OS bootloaders digital signature. The bootloader must be signed with a trusted certificate or a manually approved digital signature.
what happens if you’re using an OS that doesnt support secure boot?
you may need to modify that in the BIOS itself.
what is CMOS?
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. CMOS ususally refers to a specific part of a computers hardware known as the CMOS chip or CMOS battery.
where is BIOS configuration stored?
in flash memory thats connected to the motherboard.
how can you reset your BIOS configuration?
through a jumper on the motherboard.
what is a jumper?
located on the motherboard, a jumper is a small plastic covered connector that can be positioned over two or more pins to change the configuration or the behaviour of a specific hardware feature or component.
what are jumpers used for?
to configure various settings on the motherboard or other hardware devices by altering the flow of electrical signals between different parts of the circuit.
what is a CMOS battery?
not used with todays flash based storage, it maintains older BIOS configurationa.
what is the Trusted Platform Module
a specification for cryptographic functions. a hardware based security component that provides a variety of security related functions to help enhance the overall seurity.
where is the TPM typically implemented?
as a microcontroller on the motherboard or as a separate chip in devices such as laptops, desktops and servers.
what is the primary purpose of TPM?
To securely store and manage cryptographic keys as well as perform various security related tasks, such as encryption, authentication and secure boot
how is creating a cryptographic key done?
through the TPM on the motherboard.
what is persistent memory?
also known as storage class memory (SCM) or non volatile memory (NVM) is a type of memory that bridges the cap between traditional volatile memory (RAM) and non volatile storage (such as SSD and HDD)
what does persistent memory offer?
characteristics of both memory and storage, providing high speed data access like RAM while also retaining data even when the power is turned off, like storage devices.
