Intel announced at RSA two new technologies: Intel Threat Detection Technology (Intel TDT), a set of silicon-level capabilities that will help the ecosystem detect new classes of threats, and Intel Security Essentials, a framework that standardizes the built-in security features across Intel processors.

Intel Threat Detection Technology leverages silicon-level telemetry and functionality to help Intel's industry partners improve the detection of advanced cyberthreats and exploits.

The first capability is Accelerated Memory Scanning. Current scanning technologies can detect system memory-based cyberattacks, but at the cost of CPU performance. With Accelerated Memory Scanning, the scanning is handled by Intel's integrated graphics processor, enabling more scanning, while reducing the impact on performance and power consumption. According to early benchmarking on Intel test systems, CPU utilization dropped from 20 percent to as little as 2 percent.

Microsoft will integrate Accelerated Memory Scanning into Microsoft Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection's (ATP) antivirus capability, which is available now.

The second Intel Threat Detection Technology is Intel Advanced Platform Telemetry. Intel Advanced Platform Telemetry combines platform telemetry with machine learning algorithms to improve the detection of advanced threats, while reducing false positives and minimizing performance impact. The first Cisco product to take advantage of this integration will be the Cisco Tetration platform, which provides data center security and cloud workload protection.

Intel also leunched Intel Security Essentials, designed to ensure a consistent set of critical root-of-trust hardware security capabilities across Intel Core, Intel Xeon and Intel Atom processors. These capabilities are platform integrity technologies for secure boot, hardware protections (for data, keys and other digital assets), accelerated cryptography and trusted execution enclaves to protect applications at runtime.

These designed-in capabilities also deliver the flexibility to upgrade firmware and repurpose devices to face future threats, or to address new security use cases.

Intel is positioned to promote a consistent hardware security model across a broad ecosystem. Intel Security Essentials is based on a consistent architecture, with integrated firmware, development libraries, and validation on wide variety of operating systems. Intel's general purpose systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) with integrated security offer a new way forward to implement hardware-based security.

Intel is also strengthening cybersecurity partnerships with academia to advance research and begin to close the talent gap in the industry. Today, Purdue University announced the launch of its Design for Security Badge Program for students and professionals, developed in partnership with Intel.