Intel to use Graphics processor for antivirus scanning

Yes, you read that right, basically Intel will be using the GPU, to offload the CPU for virus and malware scanning. The first program to utilize the new features will actually be Windows Defender for enterprises.

Intel is planning to allow virus scanners to use its integrated graphics chipsets to scan for malicious attacks. Intel calls the new technique Accelerated Memory Scanning and it will work on systems with an Intel Core processor of the sixth generation, Skylake, and higher. By offloading the job to the GPU, which often sits idle, that performance hit was reportedly reduced to 2%.

Accelerated Memory Scanning will be available for 6th, 7th, and 8th gen Intel processors. However, it is up to third-party antivirus vendors to actually utilize that feature. 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.

-- Intel -- Today, Intel is taking another step forward, with two new technology announcements: Intel Threat Detection Technology (Intel TDT), a set of silicon-level capabilities that will help the ecosystem detect new classes of threats, and Intel Security Essentials, a framework that standardizes the built-in security features across Intel processors. We are also announcing a strengthened academic partnership with Purdue University, to help accelerate the development and availability of cybersecurity talent.

Intel Threat Detection Technology leverages silicon-level telemetry and functionality to help our industry partners improve the detection of advanced cyberthreats and exploits. Today we are announcing the first two Intel Threat Detection Technology capabilities, including implementation plans by Microsoft and Cisco.

The first new capability is Accelerated Memory Scanning. Current scanning technologies can detect system memory-based cyberattacks, but at the cost of CPU performance. With Accelerated Memory Scanning, the scanning is handled by Intel's integrated graphics processor, enabling more scanning, while reducing the impact on performance and power consumption. Early benchmarking on Intel test systems show CPU utilization dropped from 20 percent to as little as 2 percent.

Microsoft will integrate Accelerated Memory Scanning into Microsoft Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection's (ATP)* antivirus capability, which is available now.

The second Intel Threat Detection Technology is Intel Advanced Platform Telemetry. Intel Advanced Platform Telemetry combines platform telemetry with machine learning algorithms to improve the detection of advanced threats, while reducing false positives and minimizing performance impact. The first Cisco product to take advantage of this integration will be the Cisco Tetration platform, which provides data center security and cloud workload protection.

I am excited about the progress we are making, together with these key partners, to pioneer innovations across silicon and software to help protect customers from emerging threats.

Intel Security Essentials: Built-in Security Foundation
Today we are also launching Intel Security Essentials, which will ensure a consistent set of critical root-of-trust hardware security capabilities across Intel Core , Intel Xeon and Intel Atom processors. These capabilities are platform integrity technologies for secure boot, hardware protections (for data, keys and other digital assets), accelerated cryptography and trusted execution enclaves to protect applications at runtime.
This standard set of capabilities will accelerate trusted computing as customers build solutions rooted in hardware-based protections. Further, these capabilities, directly integrated into Intel silicon, are designed to improve the security posture of computing, lower the cost of deploying security solutions and minimize the impact of security on performance.

Strengthening Academic Partnership with Purdue University
Intel is committed to being an active partner in the security ecosystem. The tech industry has a well-documented shortage of cybersecurity talent. To meet today's cybersecurity challenges, we need the industry and academia to accelerate the development and availability of the next generation of security-minded professionals.

To that end, we are strengthening cybersecurity partnerships with academia to advance research and begin to close the talent gap in the industry. Today, Purdue University is announcing the launch of its Design for Security Badge Program for students and professionals, developed in partnership with Intel.

Several other partners will be making announcements at RSA this week, so I encourage everyone at the conference to stop by our booth (#3435 in North Hall) to learn more.

Intel is committed to helping secure the digital world, beginning with a secure foundation at the silicon level. Together with our industry partners - and in line with our security first pledge - we will continue to work tirelessly to safeguard our customers and their data.