Sandy Bridge remote 'kill switch'?

[chrisk]

Anybody have any info on this:
Intel's Sandy Bridge processors have a remote kill switch - TechSpot News

Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors have a new feature that the chip giant is calling Anti-Theft 3.0. The processor can be disabled even if the computer has no Internet connection or isn't even turned on, over a 3G network. With Intel anti-theft technology built into Sandy Bridge, David Allen, director of distribution sales at Intel North America, told ITBusiness that users have the option to set up their processor so that if their computer is lost or stolen, it can be shut down remotely.

I never heard much about this feature until now. I am not sure I like this if the reports are accurate.

Anyone confirm?

[Chilly]

Its a feature of vPro, it won't work unless vPro is set up and enabled, Intel doesn't control it, your company would(if it was a work PC, and if your company uses vPro).

Plus, in order for it to work, the WWAN card(3G) would have to be vPro certified. Its not enabled by default, your company would need to suppport and use vPro infastructe for it to work in the first place, and your WAN card, WWAN card, and network adaptor would ALL have to be vPro certified(very few are, infact I belive only Intel NIC's are).

Don't buy into the FUD people, if you want to get worked up over vPro, there are much scarier features in it than this.

Let me put it this way, if I stole a laptop, I'd take the battery out and before I powered it on I would remove the WWAN and WAN card and BAM, your companies vPro feature defeated. Only theives who steal from companies need be worried.

[chrisk]

Yeah I am doing more reading on this now and it looks like there are similar features in current Xeon setups (not sure if it is an on-chip feature though).

[_dangtx_]

still, the possibility is quite interesting. even if its remote.

[ZZLEE]

Whait until some hack finds a way to use this is my fear.

[chrisk]

Depends on how it works. If an entire system 'ecosystem' needs to be set just so, then not too worrying. If all thats needed is the cpu and chipset, then I would be worried. If what Chilly says is correct, then the whole system will need to be configured for such a feature (as it pretty much is now by the looks).

[Tristan]

oh man, imagine if a virus was able to disable you cpu... hopefully there is a way to turn that off