News Microsoft announces Secured-core PCs to counter firmware attacks

[Chiefcrowe]

Microsoft announces Secured-core PCs to counter firmware attacks

Microsoft has announced Secured-core PCs, a new initiative to combat threats specifically targeted at the firmware level and data stored in memory.

venturebeat.com

Sounds good!

 

[EXCellR8]

Secured-core PCs feature another layer of security underneath the operating system to protect the boot process from firmware attacks. A key Secured-core PC device requirement is Windows Defender implementing System Guard Secure Launch using new hardware capabilities from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm.

Indeed it sounds good in theory but how will this affect overall system performance? We'll have to wait and see what hardware vendors to fill us in.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, this is both good... and bad.

One of the strengths of an "open" platform like Windows and DOS, was that the end-user was ultimately in control, of what programs that they wanted to run. Including, unfortunately, malicious ones.

If MS "locks down the platform" (as they've been trying to do, a-la XBox!), then users lose that ability.

Under the banner of "security!", MS is going to "close the platform", "close the loophole", whathaveyou, until our "Windows"-alike boxes, will ONLY RUN "approved" applications, all others (conveniently, open-source / free-software as well) will be DENIED.

Edit: I used the term "Windows"-alike, meaning, it will have the familiar UI of Windows, but at it's core, it WILL NOT BE "Windows" as we've known it, the open platform that allows the user to run ANY code they like on it.

Call it "WINDOWS LOCKDOWN", or "WINDOWS PRISON", whatever floats your boat. The "software Panopticon" is real, folks, and we're watching it take hold, first-hand.