Intel 11th gen chips to add hardware-based ransomware detection

According to Intel, the technology will “improve security capacity and performance, resulting in increased threat detection efficacy” on Intel vPro platform PCs.

The company states that when TDT is enabled, it will analyze various behaviors of software as they are executed and identify threats in real-time. (Unsplash)

Intel's new 11th generation Core vPro processors are going to pack a serious punch in the security department where the threats will be protected at the processor level, the company said on Monday.

At CES 2021, the company revealed that its Threat Detection (TDT) technology is aimed at one very specific modern computer threat - ransomware. Widely considered one of the most difficult to tackle because they are constantly evolving, ransomware has been used to target various systems for the past few years. In fact, malicious actors have even used ransomware to target hospitals in the middle of the pandemic while they were treating critical patients.

According to Intel, the TDT will be a built-in hardware security feature that will be able to detect ransomware by running on the processor in real-time. The company has partnered with another security firm to provide the service, according to a report by ZDNet. The report states that this is the first known instance of deploying hardware to identify ransomware.

The company states that when TDT is enabled, it will analyze various behaviors of software as they are executed and identify threats in real-time. It will then send a high-fidelity signal to trigger a response and resolve the threat at the software level. Meanwhile, another layer of protection will be provided by Intel's Hardware Shield, which will restrict the malware and lock down the BIOS to prevent the infection from moving any further.

According to Intel's website, the TDT will be integrated into leading security vendors' software to “improve security capacity and performance, resulting in increased threat detection efficacy” on Intel vPro platform PCs. Businesses have deployed security solutions at a software level, but malicious actors keep evolving their methods and attack the hardware layer, Intel states, adding that hardware-based security like the Intel vPro protects against attacks below the operating system.