Intel beefs up desktop security

The processor giant is building stronger protection and better manageability into its desktop technology

Intel has unveiled plans to embed better asset management and security capabilities in its next-generation desktop platform, due later this year.

Rob Crooke, vice-president and general manager of the business client group at Intel, said the new Averill platform, which incorporates the next-generation Conroe chip, will feature a new version of its Active Management Technology to help IT staff better manage the desktop environment and tackle zero-day attacks. "AMT allows IT professionals to better discover, heal and secure [desktop] platforms in a network environment," he said.

The technology embeds a "manageability engine" into the desktop. When integrated with IT management software, this allows administrators to take control of a desktop even when it is off or the operating system is down, according to Gregory Bryant, general manager of Intel's digital office platform division. He added that this functionality would reduce IT department costs by increasing the number of problems support staff can solve remotely.

AMT also features a new Circuit Breaker capability that detects and blocks unusual network activity. David Taylor, vice-president of marketing at IT management software vendor LANDesk, demonstrated the capability. He explained it gives firms the ability to isolate a malicious code outbreak on a single desktop, preventing the machine from propagating malware across the network or being used as a zombie in a denial-of-service attack.