Symantec, Intel building VM security into microchips

The partnership, called "Project Hood," is part of an effort by the two companies to expand their use of virtualization technology. Instead of designing the security software to run on Microsoft's Windows or another operating system, Symantec and Intel are building it so it can directly interact with the Intel chips.

Symantec Vice President Rowan Trollope said the microchip VM appliances would run "underneath and alongside the operating system."

The companies are developing the products for use on servers and business desktop computers, though they may eventually expand the effort to consumer PCs, he said.