Microsoft warns of correcting the security gaps

Microsoft has made it clear that software upgrades designed to close the security gaps that were discovered on Jan. 3 in virtually all central processors have resulted in some computers, both personal computers (PCs) and servers, to become slow.

Systems that use Intel’s older chips show a noticeable slowdown and performance decline, Microsoft said in a statement, according to a Microsoft blog, and Reuters. It is obvious that a “brake” in the operation of their computers is the last thing a user wants, much more a large data center that uses many computers.

© Sofokleousin.gr Microsoft warns about the security gaps corrections

For its part, Intel denies that its chips can be adversely affected after the patches of security gaps. As stated earlier, a typical home or business user will not notice significant delays in their routine tasks, such as writing text, reading emails or accessing digital photos.

In addition, according to Microsoft, the situation appears to be even worse with some of the older processors of Intel’s competitor Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), as security upgrades have led to some “freezing” computers with such chips. That’s why Microsoft has announced that it temporarily stops software upgrades for some AMD processors, in order to avoid the total crash of the computer.

Microsoft has begun to release security updates for devices with the Windows operating system, now excluding those with some AMD chips. This decision will delay the protection of AMD chip computers from possible future attacks by hackers who will want to exploit the now famous Meltdown and Specter security gaps.

As a result, AMD shares fell on the US stock market, as had happened earlier with Intel shares. But before Microsoft’s chip problem with AMD chips, the company’s shares rose by as much as 20 percent, as investors were optimistic that AMD would benefit Intel, whose processors seemed to be the most affected.

Microsoft has announced, as the AMNA broadcasts, that it is working with AMD to find a solution to the problem, so that the security gaps cover all the processors of the latter.

The problem also concerns the ARM chips, which belong to the Japanese SoftBank. ARM estimated that about 5% of the more than 120 billion chips that it and its partners have sold since 1991 are affected by Spectre, and much less is the number of chips that are vulnerable to Meltdown. Intel and AMD have not yet revealed the estimated number of their own affected chips worldwide.

Cisco Systems has made it known that it has identified 18 products (servers, routers, etc.) vulnerable to the two security gaps and has assured that it has prepared the necessary security fixes by February 18th.

On Monday, Apple released an upgraded version of its operating system to fix the problem.

Source: www.sofokleousin.gr