Why hardware is the next target
The Spectre and Meltdown chip flaws send a stark warning about the future of tech security. The next wave of flaws will likely target computer hardware, not software, making them particularly difficult to fix, reports The Atlantic. Hardware vulnerabilities are tough to solve partly because implementing patches requires coordination from several groups, including chip manufacturers, hardware makers, and application developers. And some hardware, like webcams, lack patching systems. But these flaws are especially concerning because some are impossible to patch. That’s because, in some cases — like Spectre — the flaw is an essential piece of the chip’s design, leaving no fix but to simply turn the device off.