What is the purpose of Trusted Boot or Measured Boot?

The purpose of Trusted Boot or Measured Boot is to gather secure metrics for validating the boot process. This method is designed to ensure the integrity of the system's boot sequence by measuring and recording components such as the firmware, bootloader, and operating system before launching them. Each component's integrity is verified against known good values, and the results are stored in a secure location, typically in a trusted platform module (TPM).

This process helps to detect any unauthorized changes or malware that may be attempting to modify the boot process, providing a foundational level of trust. If there are discrepancies in the measurements, it signals that the system may have been compromised, allowing for preventative actions to be taken.

The other options relate to security but do not directly align with the specific goal of Trusted Boot or Measured Boot. Encrypting data at rest pertains to safeguarding stored information rather than validating boot processes. Controlling application installation focuses on managing software and ensuring only approved applications are installed, while blocking unauthorized network traffic deals with monitoring and controlling data access at the network level. These are important security considerations but are distinct from the role of Trusted Boot or Measured Boot in ensuring the integrity of the system start-up.