Before you rush off and buy a Sandy Bridge CPU, read this article

[babachoo]

http://blacklistednews.com/Intel-to-introduce-processor-with-remote-kill-switch/11968/0/7/7/Y/M.html

Apparently Sandy Bridge will have built in killswitches, making it possible for someone to remotely kill your CPU. I would never buy hardware that someone else could disable at a whim. It's just another lock with a public key given to those in power, placed in our consumer goods that could function as either a way for censorship, or a way for hackers to render our computers completely useless.

I'm surprised there has been no mention of it here at Tom's thus far.

 

[jj463rd]

http://blacklistednews.com/Intel-to-introduce-processor-with-remote-kill-switch/11968/0/7/7/Y/M.html

Apparently Sandy Bridge will have built in killswitches, making it possible for someone to remotely kill your CPU. I would never buy hardware that someone else could disable at a whim. It's just another lock with a public key given to those in power, placed in our consumer goods that could function as either a way for censorship, or a way for hackers to render our computers completely useless.

I'm surprised there has been no mention of it here at Tom's thus far.

"I'm surprised there has been no mention of it here at Tom's thus far."

You're wrong see here


http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/295762-28-sandy-bridge-kill-switch-controversy

 

[mosox]

These things should be illegal. You paid for it so you can use it.

 

[mosox]

This has something more to do with the Govt not with their own interests.

 

[PreferLinux]

(From the Bit-Tech page posted above):

Sadly, however, there are currently no signs of the technology appearing at the consumer level, where it could mimick Apple's Mobile Me remote management technology on its iPhone and iPad devices.

It is obviously not in the standard versions so we don't need to worry.

 

[double_d1]

It would be good if someone stole the laptop, then it would be nice to shut em down.

 

[jimmysmitty]

These things should be illegal. You paid for it so you can use it.

Yea and if you are a stock broker and your laptop gets stolen then you paid for it and the theif can use it along with steal very sensative info.

This is only really made for when it gets stolen. It allows you to kill the CPU at least which means they cannot access your info and therefore wont risk the saftey of your clients info.

 

[babachoo]

I expected a few sheep or shills (it's hard to tell the difference here) to reply, but not such a large majority.

 

[jimmysmitty]

I expected a few sheep or shills (it's hard to tell the difference here) to reply, but not such a large majority.

This feature is like vPro. Pretty much any Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad or Core i has vPro. Its mainly a business IT thing. It allows ITs to access PCs from their work station to perform most work apart from hardware replacement.

This is the same thing. It will probably require a special chipset or part and will only be accessable to the people who own the CPU.

Its not like Intel will be killing off CPUs.

 

[amdfangirl]

This feature is like vPro. Pretty much any Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad or Core i has vPro. Its mainly a business IT thing. It allows ITs to access PCs from their work station to perform most work apart from hardware replacement.

This is the same thing. It will probably require a special chipset or part and will only be accessable to the people who own the CPU.

Its not like Intel will be killing off CPUs.

What worries me is the potential for hackers to exploit this hardware kill-switch.

 

[jimmysmitty]

If Bill Gates had a dime for every time a Windows box crashed...oh, wait a minute - he already does......

This is Unix and Netware country, on a quietnight you can hear NT Reboot

Dear God. Must be one of those Unix nuts.

Annoying.

Sorry but Unix is useless unless you know something more about a PC than "DURRR THIS TURNS IT ON DERP!!!!!!!!!!".

Linux/Unix is useless for the majority which happens to NOT be computer savvy.

Aside from that, its pointless in this thread.

What worries me is the potential for hackers to exploit this hardware kill-switch.

IDK. I would think they would try to exploit the vPro capabilities instead in order to get info since its pretty much like remote access, being able to access and control the PC. But I never heard of any hackers accessing it. Possibly because its on the hardware level and will include pretty strong encryption, possibly 256bit, it would not be a target. Most hackers want to hack whats easy, some sort of hole in the OS or software. They also go for whats popular and tend to stay on software since its much easier to exploit.

 

[helpme3948]

1) Intel isn't stupid. They're not going to put something into all their processors that's almost time bomb until it is killed.

2) If Intel killed CPUs themselves, they'd be sued unbelievably. Why would they want that? They'd lose a LOT of money and most people would never buy from them again.

3) This seems to be mainly meant for laptops. This does not seem to be meant for desktops.

4) Thieves could still take the HDD out. It's not going to protect your information.

5) I believe I read that it is triggered via 3G (I don't remember if it works over internet). If that's the only way to activate it, it isn't much of an issue. It is mostly business laptops that have built-in 3G.

6) It is easy to get worked up over something that sounds all "OMG they could kill my CPU!" (which is actually just turning it off temporarily as you can still 'unlock' it again later) Honestly, though, would Intel be stupid about this? They're a big technology company with tons of smart people. They're not going to make your computer super vulnerable or anything like that.

 

[cheesesubs]

http://blacklistednews.com/Intel-to-introduce-processor-with-remote-kill-switch/11968/0/7/7/Y/M.html

Apparently Sandy Bridge will have built in killswitches, making it possible for someone to remotely kill your CPU. I would never buy hardware that someone else could disable at a whim. It's just another lock with a public key given to those in power, placed in our consumer goods that could function as either a way for censorship, or a way for hackers to render our computers completely useless.

I'm surprised there has been no mention of it here at Tom's thus far.

i'm assume these came from wikileak


anyway even there's akiller switch the hacker are still a long way to go to hack your processor...xd bit, txt and vt-x....unless that hacker is the combination of neo and stephen hawking.......

 

[cheesesubs]

See you release information about the USA you get famous and a lot of angry politicians having a go at you.

You release information about intel you get arrested......

true violation of nda is worse than anything you ever experience in your life

 

[g00fysmiley]

how's this a bad thing? i'd love to have had this in the laptop i had stolen that way i could brick the main laptop . most crooks are to dumb to even realise the parts are good (guy grabbed it jumped in a car and drove off when i had it next to me eating joke is the laptop was a cheapo costing me 200 used a few eyars earlier so it was already worthless.. but he got my warcraft orcs and humans disk with the case the bastard)

with this i could have killed it but what can ya do conspiracy nuts will think its to killthier pc by the man when this will never be put in mainstream computers

also for people sayign that they just have to check the hard drive its called encrypting the hard drive you then have a scompletely useless shell with a dead cpu and no useable data

 

[jimmysmitty]

Actually not. my fingers got hurt from bash bash bash all day. I regular windows user like the rest of the world. But then again forums like this and around the internet wouldve been empty without windows..............

Ever gone to Microsoft site and asked them problem you have. You'll get a link to some blokes blog on how to fix a thing they designed.
Ever strolled around in windows help? Well has it ever worked for anything? That makes me think about the beta testing done and a thing rushed onto the market.

Being a loyal fan won't give you any discount, we all pay the same price in the end.

I have not had any problems with Windows 7 so I never have gone on their help site. And normally I can fix a problem without it. But they do actually have an extensive knowledge base. In fact the Alureon Virus was listed there with fixes.

All I am saying is Linux has its place as does MS. And it will stay that way until some extreme change happens which is rare and unlikley.

I still don't think intel will be able to kill it themselves though. Its a feature for enterprises and I understand it. Hell most brokers these days are forced to use a HDD encryption program (had a guy who did it and his netbook shut off when it was 30% complete. Suffice to say it fried the machine).

 

[amdfangirl]

I would have just thought he'd lose a ton of data.