Which of the following is not typically considered part of the Trusted Computing Base (TCB)?

The Trusted Computing Base (TCB) encompasses all components of a system that enforce the security policy. This includes hardware, software, and even processes that are necessary to maintain data integrity and confidentiality. When considering the listed components, hardware forms the physical foundation that supports secure operations, such as the CPU and memory, which are crucial for executing secure code and storing sensitive data.

Processes are entities within an operating system that also play a significant role in security, especially in managing access controls and implementing the desired security policies. They contribute to maintaining system security by running the applications and services that perform security-sensitive tasks.

File protection mechanisms are vital for managing permissions and secure access to data, ensuring that only authorized processes or users can read or write to files. Although file protection itself is a security consideration, it is implemented through the operating system and its processes, which fall under the TCB's broader definition.

Since hardware, processes, and file protection are integral to establishing a secure environment, they are typically included in the definition of the Trusted Computing Base. Each component contributes to achieving the security goals of the system, and thus, considering file protection as something outside the TCB is an incorrect interpretation, making the assertion that it is not part of the TCB invalid.