MARKET OUTLOOK
Blue-Ribbon Development
for Secure, Reliable Systems
Blue-Ribbon Development for Secure, Reliable Systems
MARKET OUTLOOK
I
n the investment world, we’re familiar with “blue
embedded systems are designed from the ground up
chip stocks” – the solid, reliable choices that
and are uniquely tailored to their purpose, whether
consistently produce good returns, outperform
it’s monitoring a power substation or delivering
their competitors, and never succumb to wild dips
individual medical care. But regardless of a system’s
or corrections in the market. Every industry has
provenance, they all share some things in common –
its blue chips, and every investor has their favorites.
and not all of them are good.
In the technology world, there are also blue-
As embedded systems become more complex
chip companies that supply the most solid, reliable,
and more ubiquitous, they also become more
and trouble-free components to their clients and
vulnerable to failure or attack. The rise of widespread
customers. Intel has been one of those blue-chip
wireless connectivity also leaves these systems
vendors for more than 30 years, but its “portfolio”
more exposed to outside attacks. In short, today’s
recently got even better. With technologies from the
embedded systems need the same kind of cyber-
extended Intel family, embedded software leader Wind
and anti-hacking protection as any computer. Maybe
River* and security pioneer McAfee*, Intel delivers
even more so. It’s one thing to lose the data on a
a one-two-three punch that is the envy of product-
PC to hackers. It’s another to have a power station’s
development teams.
monitoring systems brought down, or to lose faith
in the security of a medical device, surveillance
system, or robot controller. Computer breaches can
cost money; insecure embedded systems can ruin
lives and careers.
That’s why Intel is at the forefront of securing
embedded systems with its three-part strategy.
First, there’s the secure silicon. Intel’s wildly popular
microprocessors
include
innumerable
features
that make the chips themselves secure, robust,
and trustworthy. Second, Wind River provides one
of the industry’s most trusted real-time operating
systems and embedded software, giving embedded
Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
programmers a safe and secure foundation for
Everyone is familiar with Intel’s role in the personal
their products. And third, McAfee’s industry-leading
computer (PC) market, and how Intel’s breakneck
security technology – which often goes far beyond
pace of progress catapulted PCs into the mainstream
the familiar antivirus products – adds a tough layer
industry they are today. Less well known is Intel’s role in
of armor around modern embedded systems. All
embedded systems, the electronics that surround us and
three complement one another to provide something
drive the global infrastructure. From factory automation
greater than merely the sum of their parts. The
systems, to power generation, to wireless base stations,
Intel/Wind
and innumerable other ubiquitous systems, Intel chips
investment-grade components to engineering firms
power everything from the everyday to the exotic.
in any market.
Today’s embedded systems are as complex as
River/McAfee
combination
delivers
yesterday’s PCs. Indeed, sometimes they really are
Secure Silicon
like PCs, repurposed or redesigned to accommodate
Intel’s security suite starts with Intel chips, of course.
different embedded, industrial, medical, or high-
For decades, the family of Intel® architecture (“x86”)
reliability
microprocessor chips has included security features that
requirements.
More
often,
however,
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Blue-Ribbon Development for Secure, Reliable Systems
MARKET OUTLOOK
other microprocessors just didn’t have. It starts with Intel
tools for the programmers and engineers who have
architecture’s four-level privilege hierarchy, which separates
to make these systems work. Wind River ’s tools
all software into four distinct privilege levels, or rings.
for development and debugging and its simulation
Programs can’t move outside their ring, so low-privilege
software can effectively make time stand still or even
programs can’t interrupt or interfere with higher-privileged
run backwards, allowing programmers to find and fix
code. These rules are enforced in the silicon itself, so they
bugs in uniquely powerful ways. Development teams
can’t be sidestepped, ignored, or thwarted by malicious
can work remotely, even across continents, and
code. These privilege rings have been a part of every
stay on the same page using full system simulators,
Intel architecture processor for 20 years, with continual
enabling around-the -clock development before
enhancements and improvements over that time.
hardware is even available. It’s a whole new level of
Then there’s the chips’ memory-protection units,
which prevent buggy (or malicious) programs from
full-system design, available now through Intel and
Wind River.
overwriting memory, possibly corrupting data, breaching
security, or causing failures. Like the privilege rings, Intel
McAfee* Security Layer
chips have offered memory protection for years, and it’s a
Viruses, worms, Trojans, and assorted malware used
feature that programmers have come to reply upon. Intel®
to be just the province of networked computers. But
processors also offer an execute-disable (XD) bit, a silicon
now everyday embedded systems are subject to
“on/off switch” that disables the ability to run arbitrary
the same attacks, and more. That’s why industrial-
software, one common vector for attacks. These features,
grade security technology is required for every type
and plenty more, make Intel architecture’s processor
of medical, industrial, automotive, communications,
family a safe, secure, and reliable foundation for even the
or aeronautic system. Any development team that
most mission-critical systems.
doesn’t design-in security from the outset is likely to
Wind River* Means Real Time
find itself starting over again, perhaps after a rude
introduction to their product’s security holes.
But the security features don’t stop there. Even safe and
Design teams can leverage McAfee’s software-
secure systems can fail. Bugs, programming mistakes,
based security in their own systems, hardening
and simple software errors can bring down a system
just as rapidly as a focused attack. That’s why reliable
commercial-grade software with built-in security
capabilities is so important for modern embedded
systems across market segments.
For more than 30 years, Wind River has been the bluechip standard with its real-time operating system (RTOS)
and broad portfolio of embedded software. First with its
VxWorks* product RTOS, later with its industry-leading
embedded Linux*, and now with its platforms for intelligent
systems, Wind River has been the preferred choice for
“McAfee* has been the
leader in computer
security for years, and
now that expertise is
focused on Intel-based
product development.”
engineering teams with an emphasis on reliability and
robustness. From the early days, Wind River software has
embedded products against viruses, denial-of-service
been optimized for Intel architecture processors, and that
attacks, network scans, Trojans, to name a few. The
connection is even stronger today.
company’s around-the-clock threat detection keeps
In addition to its runtime embedded software,
developersapprised of the latest outbreaks. Encryption
Wind River also provides top-grade development
and filtering technology help keep threats from
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Blue-Ribbon Development for Secure, Reliable Systems
MARKET OUTLOOK
“The wisest investment a
product team can make
is to rely on the most
reliable and most secure
tools they can get.”
Summary
Product development has always been tough.
That’s why engineers and programmers are highly
compensated, and why good program managers build
good teams that are productive and efficient. But
now, with always-on Internet connections, numerous
wireless standards, ubiquitous connectivity, real-time
demands, regulatory approval, and shorter product
life cycles, those jobs became tougher still. With that
penetrating the system in the first place. It’s like having
solid foundation, developers can create new products
an entire company focused on protecting your system –
and new value. They can focus on their value-add, and
which is exactly what theydo. What embedded system
worry less about the basic details. Blue-chip companies
isn’t important enough to warrant that kind of security?
always were the best investment.
ABOUT INTEL
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds
the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional
information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
© 2013 UBM Tech, a UBM company. All Rights Reserved.
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*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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