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Hardware-based security ROCKS!

Glaskowsky chides Intel for making rock videos about hardware-based security.

Peter Glaskowsky
Peter N. Glaskowsky is a computer architect in Silicon Valley and a technology analyst for the Envisioneering Group. He has designed chip- and board-level products in the defense and computer industries, managed design teams, and served as editor in chief of the industry newsletter "Microprocessor Report." He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
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Peter Glaskowsky

Intel recently hired Christopher Guest (of "This Is Spinal Tap" fame) to direct two music videos in support of a company ad campaign. (The videos are on YouTube, here and here.)

Genuine computer-security guru Bruce Schneier mentioned one of these videos in his blog (here), but apparently couldn't bring himself to comment further.

I covered security products for Microprocessor Report, and I've been following the subject for about 25 years. I even won a CNET-sponsored contest by writing about hardware-based computer security and got a free trip to speak at Esther Dyson's PC Forum 2005 (see the announcement here; the speech I gave at the conference is here).

But wow, I'd never have considered hiring a back-up band for my performance there even if I could sing.

Anyway, the truth is that Intel doesn't really deliver much in the way of hardware-based security features. An Intel-based system isn't any more secure in practical terms than an AMD-based machine. Maybe if they'd spent the no-doubt considerable fee for the talented Mr. Guest on engineering work instead, they'd have something they could really sing about.