Computerworld reports that upcoming WIndows and Redhat releases will support CPU-based security features designed to prevent malicious code from being executed.
The improved security feature has been included in 64-bit CPUs from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. since last year, but operating system makers haven't yet built support for the technology into their code, said Jeff Lowe, desktop marketing manager at Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD. That will change when Windows XP SP2 is released later this year and when Red Hat's new enterprise Linux OS ships in August.
Red Hat is now working on the new NX -- or "no execute" -- technology in prototype form for use with x86 processors from Intel Corp. and with Intel's 64-bit extension technology, said Tim Burke, director of server development at Raleigh, N.C.-based Red Hat. NX prevents an operating system from executing malicious code at the CPU and memory levels so it can't infect a computer or system.
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