Big PC makers decide to disable chip ID
"All of our Pentium III systems will be shipped with the feature disabled in the BIOS (basic input-output system) -- no software application can enable it," said Randy Farwell, product manager for performance desktops for direct PC seller Gateway Inc. (NYSE:GTW) "We think that is the most secure way that a company such as ourselves can ship our systems."
When computer systems are turned on, the BIOS loads essential commands and sets the default state of the system. Turning off the processor serial number in the BIOS means that, by default, the serial number will not be accessible.
Off with the BIOS
Originally, Intel (Nasdaq:INTC) asked that PC makers ship their systems with the processor serial number toggled on in both the BIOS and through a software utility "switch." After two consumer privacy groups called for a boycott of Intel's products, the Santa Clara, Calif. company backed off a step and instead asked PC makers to keep the chip ID on in the BIOS, but to ship systems with the ID toggled off by the software utility.
PC makers IBM Corp. (NYSE:IBM) and Dell Computer Corp. (Nasdaq:DELL) have joined Gateway in deciding to ship their systems with the feature disabled in BIOS rather than software. Compaq Computer Corp. (Nasdaq:CPQ) will ship initial systems as per Intel's request but has decided to turn the processor ID off in the BIOS in its next "cycle" of products due in a few months.
Intel was nonplussed by the reaction. "It is just part of our user choice equation," said George Alfs, spokesman for Intel. "We have been encouraging PC makers to put a BIOS switch in there so they have a choice."
BIOS is best, but
By turning off the ID in the BIOS, the Pentium III processor will essentially act as if the feature was not there -- with one exception. The user can always make a change to the BIOS at a later date to have the processor ID turned on.
That still poses a threat to security as well because there are known viruses that can rewrite the BIOS, said Igor Grebert, senior researcher with anti-virus firm Trend Micro Inc.
"There is the read-only component of the BIOS, and a writable component. The switch would have to be writable in order for the user to access it," he said. That means that someone could write a program to change the BIOS settings, causing the processor ID "after restarting the PC " to be accessible.
Intel officials have admitted for quite some time that the processor serial number is not 100-percent secure.
"Almost everything that is done on a PC can be accessed by a hacker," said Michael Glancy, general manager of Intel's platform security division at the Intel Developers Forum in Palm Springs, Calif. on Thursday.
PC makers still want ID
Despite the possibility that the processor serial number could be activated without the user's knowledge, PC makers would rather have it there than not.
"We feel that there is a portion of the market out there that might eventually want to enable it, so we don't feel comfortable about making it totally inaccessible to the user," said Mike Ritter, consumer product manager for Gateway.
Computer systems from PC makers using the Pentium III went on sale today.