Processors are extremely important when referring to computing devices, be it cell phones, laptops, or tablets, to name a few.
They run all the essential processes on your device, and handle sensitive data like usernames and passwords. Recently, security flaws were discovered in the way processors were manufactured — flaws that could go back as far as 20 years.
Meltdown and Spectre
One particular flaw, called Meltdown, allows attackers to access sensitive information through a computer’s operating system.
The other, Spectre, allows attackers to trick processors into starting the “speculative execution process.” This process is what makes chips run faster, as it’s designed to guess what information the computer would need to access next instead of waiting for a command and then executing that command on demand.
How do you protect your information?
Tech companies have already vigorously started updating their programs and operating systems to protect themselves. Make sure to install updates when your devices or software is asking for them. By the time of this post, 90 percent of chips released in the last five years will have fixes available. In the following weeks, chips up to 10 years old will have fixes.
If you need assistance with these updates, your KRHIO IT staff will be glad to assist.