Intel to put security features into processors

[tharkun]

Just reading the BBC website and came across this story.

The part that caught my eye was this:

Through buying McAfee, a leading security technology firm, Intel intends to build security features into its microprocessors which go into products such as laptops and phones.

Putting security features into their processors? What exactly does this mean? What confused me even more was this:

Intel and McAfee will work together to address growing incidences of cybercrime, they say

WTF?

[TylerH]

Sounds like an example of mass media not knowing what it's talking about. What could Intel do 'bout cybercrime?

> Putting security features into their processors?
They probably just mean some extension similar, in purpose and function, to #GPF.

[tharkun]

They probably just mean some extension similar, in purpose and function, to #GPF.

That's pretty much what I thought, I've posted it here in case anybody has heard anything different about it..

[Gaidheal]

I second the story being mostly a result of ignorance about "them computer thingamajigs" and "dastardly evil hackers".

Intel (and just about everyone else) already has security features, e.g. the 'ring' model privileges and and the 'not executable' flag.

[qw]

And now they are building in the "not hackable" flag.

[Gaidheal]

Apparently, according to a reliable source, the article was actually picking up on something a bit more useful, akin to ARM's 'Trusted Zone' concept. I wasn't really aware that Intel were working on anything like that (since I don't tend to follow Intel anyway) but it seems that this might be what the article is really about.

[JamesM]

I've yet to work out the significance of an antivirus company in this though - they operate on a completely different plane to silicon-based security.

[Gaidheal]

I've yet to work out the significance of an antivirus company in this though - they operate on a completely different plane to silicon-based security.

Aye, escapes me, too. It might be as simple as a branding exercize, though, no?

[NickJohnson]

Maybe they intend to make the actual invocation mechanism of the feature secret, and make it an exclusive feature that only McAfee antivirus has access to. Even if it does nothing useful, it could be a powerful marketing tool: "Use the magic antivirus power of your new processor: only available with McAfee!"

[Gaidheal]

I'm pretty sure Intel know what a disassembler is, though. ;¬)

[JamesM]

I'm pretty sure Intel know what a disassembler is, though. ;¬)

However disassembling a tool, investigating the algorithms used and creating a new commercial product based on it is fairly verboten in the world of business...

[Gaidheal]

I'm sure you can 'independently stumble upon' the CPU feautures and in some jurisdictions, reverse engineering in order to offer a competing product is specifically permitted. This is broadly the case in the UK and the EU at large.

Just to clarify, in the EU and consequently the UK, it's interoperablity you can freely reverse engineer to accomplish but a product intended to directly compete with what you're reverse engineering wouldn't be covered in the same way.

Of course, IANAL, etc, etc.

[AmA]

Cheers!