Intel Acquires McAfee, On-Chip Security Getting An Overhaul

When a company purchases, or acquires, another company, there's usually some kind of "build-up" to it. We can say we were pretty shocked when, early this morning, we received confirmation that Intel had indeed purchased the anti-virus company McAfee for $7.68 in stocks. While the move might be confusing and pointless to some, it does open quite a few doors for Intel to secure their chips directly now, as well as open up a few more along the way.

Stopping security threats on a PC is a full-time job (it's just a sad truth), and while there are many ways to get that done, having security start at the chip, and directly for the chip, is a great way to make sure that PCs all over the place are safe and sound. Well, PCs that utilize an Intel chip, of course. And while full-size computers may be perfectly protected in their own ways, it looks like Intel may be more focused on the mobile industry, as well as embedded hardware, where the security typically isn't as strong.

Unfortunately, while many consider the deal good as done, it's still held up at the moment. Both companies have to wait before the merger can be finalized, due to shareholders and industry regulations. There's no word on how long it could take. It'll be exciting to see what comes of this.

[via Slashdot]