Re: Putting together a computer from old components
Jaimie Vandenbergh <[email protected]>
| Newsgroups | alt.comp.hardware,uk.comp.homebuilt |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
On 29 Nov 2021 at 20:23:46 GMT, "Richard Kettlewell" <[email protected]> wrote: > Spiros Bousbouras <[email protected]> writes: >> SH <[email protected]> wrote: >>> what is it about the intel management engine that creeps you out? >> >> That there is a part of the processor running secret code which has >> access to everything on the computer (memory , storage media , >> internet communications) and nothing in the software that you choose >> to run on your computer can affect this. > > You could say much the same about the CPU microcode or the platform > firmware (e.g. UEFI, or BIOS if you can find something old enough). The firmware on a hard drive is clever enough, if someone wants in badly. They're general purpose computers themselves now. > Disabling this stuff may reduce your total risk, but not necessarily by > as much as you hope. The software you run will always be more risky than the hardware. Do you have time to read the source before compiling? Do you even trust your compiler? Worrying too much about this stuff is fruitless. Cheers - Jaimie -- Remember, if something is on the news that means it's rare enough that you shouldn't worry about it. It's the things that _don't_ make the news due to being so common that you should worry about. -- Stephen Sprunk