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Intel's Sandy Bridge Processor Has a Kill Switch

Posted by timothy on from the no-mr-chip-I-expect-you-to-die dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors have a new feature that the chip giant is calling Anti-Theft 3.0. The processor can be disabled even if the computer has no Internet connection or isn't even turned on, over a 3G network. With Intel anti-theft technology built into Sandy Bridge, David Allen, director of distribution sales at Intel North America, said that users have the option to set up their processor so that if their computer is lost or stolen, it can be shut down remotely."

11 of 399 comments (clear)

  1. A global remote kill switch in our computers by Serious+Callers+Only · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What could possibly go wrong.

    1. Re:A global remote kill switch in our computers by CaptainPatent · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I'm sure the virus writers are rubbing their hands with glee waiting to get their hands on one of these chips.

      Actually, Kill-switch based malware is much less valuable in reality than other types of hacks. If this were a server processor, I could see the value in an enhanced remote server-kill. Because these are basic home-use processors though, remote kill viruses probably won't get much farther than proof-of-concept.

      Botnets are much more lucrative in the malware world - processor uptime is much more valuable than processor downtime.

      --
      Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
    2. Re:A global remote kill switch in our computers by morari · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So what? The computer will be unusable (unless the thief wants to foot for a new CPU and motherboard) but the hard drive will still be there, full of your data! A few screws later and the drive will be hooked up to another computer, with all your info ready for the picking!

      --
      "He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune
    3. Re:A global remote kill switch in our computers by node+3 · · Score: 5, Funny

      intel is giving us the possibility of killing [a PC] without even having to open the computer case

      Sounds like Intel is trying to muscle in on Microsoft's turf.

    4. Re:A global remote kill switch in our computers by Snowblindeye · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I don't know what Intel is putting into those chips, but I am highly doubtful it is the way the article states it.

      Chip real estate is expensive. So Intel is going to put a complete 3G module on the CPU and use it only for this feature? And to top it off, it has some kinda of separate battery, cause you know, it works when the chip is off? Nonsense.

      This is probably some feature that gets build into the AMT support of some chipsets, maybe on Laptops that have a 3G connection already.But the way they are describing this? I call BS on that.

    5. Re:A global remote kill switch in our computers by tqk · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This was possible for a long time with phones yet it wasn't phone tracking which for the most part killed phone theft but remote kill switches.

      Theft, shmeft! I want the thieves tracked down and caught. Killing the box just means you need to buy (from Intel?) another box. Great for Intel's sales, but no help to us!

      And what does killing the CPU do to the data on the drives in the box? Methinks nothing. If it's not encrypted, they've got your data. Who cares about the box (hint: only Intel, as they can supply a replacement). This is a really dumb "solution" on Intel's part.

      --
      "Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit ..." -- Pink Floyd.
  2. It's not paranoia! by breakzoidbeg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Knowing right out of the gate that some one else COULD have access to this kill feature is unnerving at best.

  3. As if...! by Burnhard · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is it me or is this one of the dumbest ideas ever to come out of Intel?

  4. May go back to AMD... by Guysdrinkingbeer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I was looking forward to this CPU. Now, I am really going to research this. This may flip me back to AMD. I didn't like when Intel did the tracking on the PIII and the sound of this makes me just as uncomfortable.

    --
    Great people don't need people to complete them, great people complete other people. -- Matthew Pawlikowski.
  5. Great for governments by russotto · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Want to shut down the opposition's operations? Just disable their computers.

    Do. Not. Want.

  6. Well, the article sucks... by msauve · · Score: 5, Informative

    since it doesn't explain how this works, or what's it's really all about.

    It doesn't permanently disable the processor, you can revive it if you know the password. To do a kill over 3G, you send an encrypted SMS, and the laptop obviously needs 3G capability and the OS needs to be running.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law