AMD And ARM Partner On Chip Security

AMD and ARM have announced a partnership that would see AMD making use of an ARM-based Cortex A5 chip on future processors in order to use TrustZone technology. The move is designed to make use of the security features on offer with the ARM chip, so don't worry about some dramatic shift away from x86 architecture. AMD will build the new security chip into future APUs in 2013, with a wider device rollout planned for 2014.

TrustZone is designed to prevent attackers from accessing critical information on the hardware level. AMD say that the use of the ARM chip is a natural progression with the company's existing security technologies. Several companies have already welcomed the move, such as AllPay, a payment processing service dealing with millions of transactions a day.

Intel also has security features built in on the hardware level. vPro has been included with Intel processors for a while now, aimed at businesses who need the ability to lock down or remotely wipe stolen computers. Sandy Bridge also included a protected path for digital content on the hardware level.