-Caveat Lector-
Now promise us they won't put the Clipper Chip
technology in the new MMX-2 instruction set....
Intel to electronically ID chips
---------------------------------
E-commerce, anti-theft and anti-fraud efforts
to benefit, but privacy concerns are real.
By Robert Lemos, ZDNN <http://www.zdnet.com>
Intel Corp. will unveil plans to embed identification
numbers in its PC processors on Thursday, said industry
insiders and cryptographers familiar with the company's
efforts.
In doing so, the Santa Clara, Calif., chip maker could be
sounding the death knell for anonymity on the Internet.
"The application is a double-edged sword. On the one hand
it offers more security -- for e-commerce and information
security," said Barry Steinhardt, associate director and
privacy expert at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Do you think Intel's plan for registering chips is good
for consumer protection -- or bad for personal privacy?
Add your comments to the bottom of this page.
"As a pure privacy issue, it allows for a means of
tracking individuals on the Net."
Intel briefed the ACLU and others on the details of its
new identification scheme in hopes of heading off any
protest by privacy advocates about its new initiative.
The plan calls for Intel to put a machine-specific ID and
a random number generator in every processor, said sources
familiar with the plans.
The random-number generator will aid e-commerce by
allowing PCs to encrypt data more securely, while the ID
numbers will allow merchants to verify a user's identity
and prevent stolen PCs from getting on the Internet.
What of privacy?
In fact, the plan is sort of a cross between vehicle
identification numbers and caller ID.
Users who buy a PC will have the ID number feature turned
on automatically. Merchants and other "trusted" parties
will be able to verify a user's identity.
'The application is a double-edged sword. It offers
more security ... [and] it allows for a means of
tracking individuals on the Net.'
-- Barry Steinhardt, ACLU
For those users who want to remain private, Intel
(Nasdaq:INTC) will provide a software patch to turn off
the function. This sort of scheme -- which is referred
to as "opt out" because consumers have to opt out of
participating -- mimics the current state of the industry.
That bodes ill for privacy, though. "We would rather that
Intel have the patch installed as the default," said the
ACLU's Steinhardt, who stated that such a policy would let
consumers choose whether they wanted to e-commerce-enhance
their PC.
But more significantly, if the technology is seen as
enabling e-commerce, then users may (effectively) not
have a choice of opting in or out -- the feature may be
required of users by companies before any transactions
are made.
Such worries also extend to the collecting of
identification information.
"Intel says they're not keeping a database matching users
to their ID numbers," said Steinhardt, "but the temptation
down the road for someone to keep a database will, most
likely, be too great. It will happen."
Stronger security
Still, even with such concerns, there is no denying the
benefits of the scheme.
"It's a matter of pros and cons," said Michael Slater,
principal analyst for chip watcher Micro Design Resources
Inc. "There is a lot of benefit for e-commerce with
[Intel's] method."
The identification numbers could act like their vehicular
counterparts -- essentially blacklisting stolen PCs from
the Internet.
"This kills theft," said one cryptographer at this week's
RSA Data Security Conference, who had been briefed by
Intel on its plans. "As soon as you go on the Internet,
you will be detected."
For merchants on the Internet, having proof-positive of
their customers will end consumer fraud and cut the cost
of doing business with customers you can't see.
End of overclocking
And for Intel, the ID scheme takes care of a problem that
has been plaguing them for years: Illegal overclocking.
'As soon as you go on the Internet,
you will be detected.'
-- Cryptographer
Overclocking is the act of running the processor at higher
speeds, usually an act of the hardware hacker.
But Intel has repeatedly run into companies that buy, say,
a 300MHz Celeron processor, overclock it to 400MHz, and
then sell it as a 400MHz processor.
Not only does this result in lost profits for Intel, but
if the processor has problems running at the higher speed,
Intel is the one blamed -- not the PC maker.
But with an electronic ID attached to each processor,
consumers will be able to check their processor against
Intel's database of products and find out at what speed
the processor was sold.
This still allows hobbyists who want to overclock their
PCs to do so, while cracking down on the frauds.
Intel refused to comment for this story.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
At 11:28 AM 1-21-1999 EST, you wrote:
News: alt.conspiracy
From: Insanity Set <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, Jan 20, 1999
Subj: INTEL Creates a Tattle-tale chip
As long as you click and buy or talk about your favorite
rock group, no one will bother you.
Because now every packet you send can be traced to a
specific processor. YOURS! Its a cookie that you can
NEVER delete!
Isn't that an odd name for a company? Intel. Think about it.
http://cnnfn.com/digitaljam/wires/9901/20/intel_wg/
Intel chips to carry IDs
The world's largest chipmaker plans to put a unique ID as
well as a random number generator in every processor,
starting with its next-generation Pentium III chip.
Because it is wired directly into the chip, the feature
could enable computer users to be tracked as they surf the
Internet, analysts said.
.
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
