The vPro platform security features featured with the new 12th Gen Core CPUs, codenamed Alder Lake, were unveiled by Intel on Thursday.
The Intel vPro platform is optimised for performance, security, management, and stability. Hardware, firmware, the operating system, and applications are all protected by the vPro security solutions.
The Hardware Shield feature, which protects against firmware-level attacks, is designed to significantly limit the attack surface in the new vPro provided with 12th Gen processors, according to Intel.
Furthermore, Control Flow Enforcement Technology (CET), which was first introduced with 11th Gen Core mobile processors to prevent malicious code injections into memory-based apps, is now available for desktop processors as well.
Anomaly behaviour detection has been added to Intel’s Threat Detection Technology (TDT) on the newest processors.
TDT is a ransomware detection tool that uses hardware to identify ransomware. By utilising artificial intelligence to profile acceptable app behaviour and alerting endpoint security software when anomalies are detected, the new detector targets living-off-the-land and supply chain assaults.
Total Memory Encryption Multi-Key (TME-MK), which encrypts DRAM, will provide protection against physical attacks on Intel vPro Enterprise for Windows and Chrome. Intel is also including a Key Locker function on Chrome devices, which is designed to protect keys used by AES-NI encryption.
The new CPUs, according to The Register, still don’t support Microsoft’s Pluton security processor. Microsoft said in 2020 that it would supply the new security chip for Windows PCs through partnerships with Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. Pluton will supposedly be included in some forthcoming Lenovo ThinkPads with AMD processors, but it will be disabled by default.
