Two new computer security flaws are hitting the headlines around the world. They are Meltdown and Spectre. Both bugs affect the CPU (central processing unit) of a computer – that’s the main piece of hardware inside. The news is massive because of the huge scale of the problem: The flaws have been found in processors designed by manufacturers Intel, AMD and ARM dating back to 1995. That means they affect virtually every modern computer, as well as smart phones and tablets, from all vendors and running most operating systems.
Meltdown and Spectre were discovered by researchers at Google’s Project Zero, working together with academic and industry researchers from several countries.
What problems will Meltdown and Spectre cause?
There are two main problems. The first, and most obvious, is of course the security risk, which hackers will be quick to exploit. Manufacturers of both hardware and software are busy working on updates to combat the risks. The first of these are already available, and more will be following. However, this brings us to the second problem. The sort of fix necessary is anticipated to slow down the speed of a computer, in some cases quite significantly.
What is being done about it?
Intel, Google, Microsoft, Apple and many others are busy providing fixes to the problem, and more will become available as the work progresses.
All good security systems will be updating computers to all the latest versions to take advantages of security patches as soon as possible.
The second problem, however, is then going to become more apparent… how much will the speed of your computer be compromised by the fixes? Some estimates predict that speed of machines could be reduced by up to 30%.
What can I do to protect my computer?
It is always good practice to be running up-to-date security software, which will ensure that your machine benefits from all the latest security updates.
The great news for datamills “Baseline Secure” customers is that you’re protected. We’ve got your back! You can sit back and relax, knowing that all the updates you need will be applied to your computers automatically, without you even having to think about it.
If you’re not sure whether or not your computer is protected, we recommend that you give us a call straight away on 0114 287 0510, or email info@datamills.co.uk. If you haven’t taken advantage of datamills Baseline Secure, now is a good time to talk to us about it.
I need more help!
If you see a reduction in your computer speed, or are worried about that happening, it may be that we could improve the speed of your computer by adding a faster part. Give us a ring, on 0114 287 0510, to see if this is possible for your machine.
If a new PC is the answer, we can also help you source and set up your new machine, and move your data and settings across. Again, pick up the phone and call 0114 287 0510 for more details.
As always, if you have any other questions arising from reading this article, please do give us a call to talk it through with our technical team, who will be able to explain things in straight-forward terms. And, watch this news feed for updates…