Company announces Accelerated Memory Scanning

Apr 17, 2018 05:37 GMT  ·  By
Windows Defender ATP will be the first to use the new Intel scanning capabilities
   Windows Defender ATP will be the first to use the new Intel scanning capabilities

Intel has announced a new feature called Accelerated Memory Scanning that enables virus scanners to rely on its graphics chips in order to look for malware on Windows computers.

Such an implementation has several benefits, including not only a reduced footprint on system performance, but also increased battery life on devices like laptops. Previously, antivirus apps were using CPU power exclusively to perform scans, and with Intel’s new tech, the company expects processor load to drop from 20 percent to just 2 percent.

Microsoft will be the first to adopt the new technology, and Advanced Memory Scanning will be baked into Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) available for enterprises as part of Windows 10.

The company is also announcing Intel Advanced Platform Telemetry, a new system that’s supposed to help block advanced threats and reduce false positives. This feature relies on telemetry and machine learning algorithms, and Intel says that a noticeable performance improvement is expected to be recorded this time as well.

Cisco will be the first firm to embrace Intel Advanced Platform Telemetry in the Cisco Tetration platform offering data center security and cloud workload protection, but more partners could follow soon.

Intel promising increased focus on security

Intel is more committed to improving the security of its products after the Meltdown and Spectre fiasco which affected processors launched in the last two decades. Two hardware vulnerabilities in Intel, AMD, and ARM products required intensive work from both the chipset makes and partners in the industry to keep users secure, with a plethora of patches rolled out in the last couple of months to address the flaws.

At the same time, Intel has also promised to prevent similar issues in the next-generation chips, claiming that future processors would integrate additional technologies that would secure its hardware and block attacks exposing users.

All 2018 processors will be free of Meltdown and Spectre bugs, Intel promised, and the technologies launched today are part of a more secure future for the chipmaker.