Over the past several days, an Intel chip made news for all the wrong reasons. Because there is a flaw leaving people’s computers venerable. And because of this flaw, hackers can take over your system. The Intel chip bug: consumer alert.
So it turns out this isn’t a new problem. In fact, the problem is almost 10 years old. Apparently, this bug is so bad that it can allow hackers to control your computer even when it’s off. ?The bug took advantage of Intel’s Active Management Technology (AMT). This AMT lets you do your own maintenance and software updates. So you can see why it would be so popular.
But it’s potentially dangerous. It has been for years. One security expert says the AMT does give you remote services. But there is a price to pay, and I don’t just mean money either. The AMT needs network access, access to memory and disk/hard drive information, and more. Yes, one can protect their AMT through a password. But the problem is hackers can easily break into these passwords. In fact, security experts say the Intel chip bug began when the default admin still processes passwords. Therefore, anybody can log into your system because of this bug.
We don’t know how many PCs got hit. But some say the toll is about 8,500 worldwide, with 3,000 of them in the USA. But that’s on the low end compared to a lot of bugs and hacks in the past. Let’s hope it stays on the low end. In our Boston computer service shop, we haven’t yet got this complaint. But our computer repair company fixes bugs like the Intel chip bug all the time. We see plenty of bugs like this too. This is why I believe it’s so important to inform ourselves and the public about these dangers. ?Intel says they’re working on the problem and instructing manufacturers to do better. But is it too late?