1. A method for making trust decisions regarding a target system, the method comprising: (a) receiving an attestation request from an appraiser at a target system, wherein the request includes queries regarding properties of the target system needed by the appraiser to make trust decisions regarding the target system; (b) sending the attestation request from the target system to an attester; (c) collecting data requested in the attestation request at the attester; (d) sending an attestation response from the attester to the appraiser, wherein the response includes at least information regarding properties of the target system requested by the appraiser in step (a); and (e) making a trust decision at the appraiser regarding the target system based at least on information contained in the attestation response.