Symantec and Intel team up to develop security on microchips

August 15, 2007 – Intel and Symantec are jointly developing security products that could be built into tiny computer microprocessors, according to the Vice President of Symantec, Rowan Trollope.

The program is called Project Hood and is part of an initiative by both companies to expand their use of virtualization technology, which involves using software to replicate entire computer systems.  The companies intend the products they are developing to be used on servers and business desktop computers, although this may eventually be expanded to consumer PCs and other connected home products, securing home networks among other applications.

Trollope stated: “It runs underneath and alongside the operating system.”  Instead of designing the security software to run on an operating system, the two companies are building it so that it can interact directly with the Intel chips.