On Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at 07:50 AM, Fernando Ubiria wrote:
Hi,
I have two big concerns about the move.
1) Having a CPU that runs x86 code, it would be a lot easier to write
a multiplataform virus.
It should only check what kind of OS you are running and then perform
the appropiate attack.
It existed already such a virus many years ago, it attacked different
flavors of unix internet servers.
IMHO the intel-pseudoMacs wil be as secure (or insecure) as linux
running in a PC clone.
2) The last CPUs announced from intel will have built in hardware for
DRM.
Wich kind of limitations will we have to manipulate the different
kinds of data ?
Without doubt, OS X is a lot easier to use than linux.
But, is that enough to justify the premium price and the menace of DRM
?
Rgds,
Fernando
For those who haven't heard of DRM, this post from an Amiga list should
be of interest:
Subject: [TAML] Intel quietly ships Pentium D with DRM
Intel quietly ships Pentium D with DRM
Julian Bajkowski, Computerworld
27/05/2005 08:27:26
Microsoft and the entertainment industry's holy grail of controlling
copyright through the motherboard has moved a step closer with Intel
now
embedding digital rights management within in its latest dual-core
processor Pentium D and accompanying 945 chipset.
Officially launched worldwide on the May 26, the new offerings come
DRM-enabled and will, at least in theory, allow copyright holders to
prevent unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted materials
from the motherboard rather than through the operating system as is
currently the case.
While Intel steered clear of mentioning the new DRM technology at its
Australian launch of the new products, Intel's Australian technical
manager Graham Tucker publicly confirmed Microsoft-flavoured DRM
technology will be a feature of Pentium D and 945.
"[The] 945g [chipset] supports DRM, it helps implement Microsoft's DRM
... but it supports DRM looking forward," Tucker said, adding the DRM
technology would not be able to be applied retrospectively to media or
files that did not interoperate with the new technology.
However, Tucker ducked questions regarding technical details of how
embedded DRM would work saying it was not in the interests of his
company to spell out how the technology in the interests of security.
The situation presents an interesting dilemma for IT security managers
as they may now be beholden to hardware-embedded security over which
they have little say, information or control.
Conversely, Intel is heavily promoting what it calls "active management
technology" (AMT) in the new chips as a major plus for system
administrators and enterprise IT. Understood to be a sub-operating
system residing in the chip's firmware, AMT will allow administrators
to
both monitor or control individual machines independent of an operating
system.
*
Additionally, AMT also features what Intel calls "IDE redirection"
which
will allow administrators to remotely enable, disable or format or
configure individual drives and reload operating systems and software
from remote locations, again independent of operating systems. Both AMT
and IDE control are enabled by a new network interface controller.
"We all know our [operating system] friends don't crash that often, but
it does happen," Tucker said.
Intel's reticence to speak publicly about what lies under the hood of
its latest firmware technology has also prompted calls to come clean
from IT security experts, including Queensland University of
Technology's assistant dean for strategy and innovation, IT faculty,
Bill Caelli.
"It's a dual use technology. It's got uses and misuses. Intel has to
answer what guarantees it is prepared to give that home users are safe
from hackers. Not maybes, guarantees".
Caelli said it was "critical Intel comes clean" about how the current
DRM technology is embedded into the new CPU and chipset offering.
Microsoft was unavailable for comment at press time.
Can you say "Big Brother"?
- Peter
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