Hardware Attestation.

A cryptographic protocol by which a device proves its identity and software measurements to a remote verifier using a key rooted in tamper-resistant hardware. It belongs to the Cryptography category of cybersecurity.

A cryptographic protocol by which a device proves its identity and software measurements to a remote verifier using a key rooted in tamper-resistant hardware.

Hardware attestation lets a remote verifier cryptographically check that a device is genuine and runs an expected software stack. The device signs a quote of its boot-time and runtime measurements (PCRs, TCB version, code hashes) with an attestation key derived from a hardware root of trust - typically a TPM Endorsement Key, an Intel SGX/TDX or AMD SEV-SNP attestation key (VCEK/VLEK), or a DICE-derived Compound Device Identifier (CDI). Standards include TCG Remote Attestation Procedures (RATS, RFC 9334), DICE (Device Identifier Composition Engine), Android Key Attestation, and Apple App Attest. Use cases span confidential computing, FIDO2 device attestation, secure boot policy enforcement, software supply-chain integrity, and zero-trust device posture checks.

Defences for Hardware Attestation typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.

Common alternative names include: Remote attestation, Device attestation.