Dell to Add Security Chip to PCs
<http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB110727370814142368,00.html> The Wall Street Journal February 1, 2005 11:04 a.m. EST Dell to Add Security Chip to PCs By GARY MCWILLIAMS Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL February 1, 2005 11:04 a.m. HOUSTON -- Dell Inc. today is expected to add its support to an industry effort to beef up desktop and notebook PC security by installing a dedicated chip that adds security and privacy-specific features, according to people familiar with its plans. Dell will disclose plans to add the security features known as the Trusted Computing Module on all its personal computers. Its support comes in the wake of similar endorsements by PC industry giants Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., Intel Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. The technology has been promoted by an industry organization called the Trusted Computing Group. The company is also expected to unveil new network PCs. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
ANyone familiar with computer architectures and chips able to answer this question: That "chip"...is it likely to be an ASIC or is there already such a thing as a security network processor? (ie, a cheaper network processor that only handles security apps, etc...) Or could it be an FPGA? -TD
From: "R.A. Hettinga" <rah@shipwright.com> To: cryptography@metzdowd.com, cypherpunks@al-qaeda.net Subject: Dell to Add Security Chip to PCs Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 15:59:59 -0500
<http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB110727370814142368,00.html>
The Wall Street Journal
February 1, 2005 11:04 a.m. EST
Dell to Add Security Chip to PCs
By GARY MCWILLIAMS Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL February 1, 2005 11:04 a.m.
HOUSTON -- Dell Inc. today is expected to add its support to an industry effort to beef up desktop and notebook PC security by installing a dedicated chip that adds security and privacy-specific features, according to people familiar with its plans.
Dell will disclose plans to add the security features known as the Trusted Computing Module on all its personal computers. Its support comes in the wake of similar endorsements by PC industry giants Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., Intel Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. The technology has been promoted by an industry organization called the Trusted Computing Group.
The company is also expected to unveil new network PCs.
-- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
"Tyler Durden" <camera_lumina@hotmail.com> writes:
That "chip"...is it likely to be an ASIC or is there already such a thing as a security network processor? (ie, a cheaper network processor that only handles security apps, etc...)
Or could it be an FPGA?
Neither. Currently they've typically been smart-card cores glued to the MB and accessed via I2C/SMB. Peter.
Ah. That's a good sanity check. Like I said I'm by no means an expert but I considered it highly unlikely they'd use a dedicated crypto ASIC in this context. -TD
From: pgut001@cs.auckland.ac.nz (Peter Gutmann) To: camera_lumina@hotmail.com, cryptography@metzdowd.com,cypherpunks@al-qaeda.net, rah@shipwright.com Subject: RE: Dell to Add Security Chip to PCs Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2005 17:53:22 +1300
"Tyler Durden" <camera_lumina@hotmail.com> writes:
That "chip"...is it likely to be an ASIC or is there already such a thing as a security network processor? (ie, a cheaper network processor that only handles security apps, etc...)
Or could it be an FPGA?
Neither. Currently they've typically been smart-card cores glued to the MB and accessed via I2C/SMB.
Peter.
participants (4)
-
Anne & Lynn Wheeler -
pgut001＠cs.auckland.ac.nz -
R.A. Hettinga -
Tyler Durden