Abstract: Techniques and architecture are described for validating and verifying iPXE scripts prior to execution during a booting process. During the booting process of a network device, right after the UEFI/BIOS stage of the booting process, a trusted iPXE script may make a request to a network server for the ownership voucher and owner certificate of the network device. The ownership voucher and owner certificate may then be stored in a trusted platform module (TPM) on the network device. In configurations, the retrieved owner certificate may be validated by the ownership voucher. The owner certificate may be used to validate iPXE scripts. Once validated, the iPXE scripts may be executed and the booting process may be continued to the kernel loading step and the application loading step. During a subsequent booting process of the network device, the ownership voucher and owner certificate may be retrieved from the TPM.

Abstract: In one embodiment, methods for mediated transfer of ownership are described. The method may include receiving a request for an ownership voucher from a device, validating an identifier of the device, determining whether to issue the ownership voucher, generating a signed ownership voucher, and sending the signed ownership voucher to the device. In another embodiment, methods for unmediated transfer of ownership are described, including receiving, an ownership voucher associated with a first ownership certificate, determining whether the ownership voucher comprises a signature associated with a manufacturer, based at least in part on determining that the signature of the manufacturer is absent, determining that a second ownership certificate is stored in memory, determining that the second ownership certificate comprises a signature associated with a user, validating the ownership voucher; and based at least in part on the validating, enrolling the first ownership certificate on the network device.

Abstract: Techniques and architecture are described for providing a configurable security posture for a network device using an extended ownership artifact, e.g., an ownership voucher, an ownership certificate, etc., and a security profile mechanism that scales to user needs and desires for security profiles on network devices, i.e., easily and securely customizable on thousands of nodes of a network. The configurable security posture may be achieved using the manufacturer authorized signing authority (MASA) to issue an ownership voucher with a security bit extension to support security profile additions. Using the MASA service, a user may explicitly decide on various security postures of a given network device and may apply that profile across the fixed or modular chassis of a network of network devices.