Intel Corp has introduced its Intel Software Security System, which should help people build Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI)-compliant applications. The agent itself is a small piece of tamper-resistant code, explained GM of internet security services, Parvinder Kohli. It performs two functions. It performs a check upon itself to make sure it is still integral, and then it performs an integrity check on the software environment around it. This component is used in any platform that is being developed for doing protected content distribution. The agent should be able to detect whether a content player has been hacked to circumvent anti-privacy protection. If it has, it will simply refuse to decrypt the downloaded content. Of course, if the encryption itself has been broken, as was the case with DVD’s CSS last week, Intel’s new software agent won’t be able to help.
