[Cryptography] Intel trump-ets "walls" to defeat Spectres

[Henry Baker]

FYI --

https://newsroom.intel.com/editorials/advancing-security-silicon-level/

Advancing Security at the Silicon Level

Hardware-based Protection Coming to Data Center and PC Products Later this Year

By Brian Krzanich

In addressing the vulnerabilities reported by Google Project Zero earlier this year, Intel and the technology industry have faced a significant challenge.  Thousands of people across the industry have worked tirelessly to make sure we delivered on our collective priority: protecting customers and their data.  I am humbled and thankful for the commitment and effort shown by so many people *around the globe*.  And, I am reassured that when the need is great, companies – and even competitors – will work together to address that need.
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we are making changes to our hardware design to further address the other two.  We have redesigned parts of the processor to introduce new levels of protection through *partitioning* that will protect against both Variants 2 and 3.  Think of this partitioning as additional "protective walls" between applications and user privilege levels to create an obstacle for bad actors.

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Translation:

We're sorry that this has taken so long, but Intel needed to "nerd harder" to redesign our backdoors and provide new niches where we could hide the keys for the housekeeping maids & gardeners.  These backdoors & niches improve *your* security, by allowing these hard-working folks to keep a watchful eye out for "bad actors".

Our IP lawyers have also been working overtime to come up with words and phrases that make what we're doing appear novel enough to build a patent wall against AMD and ARM.  We're hopeful that they've now succeeded.

Our researchers in India and Pakistan have assured us that these novel "partitions" will provide the safety and security blanket that our customers have become accustomed to from Intel.