Intel announced a new chip today, and it includes a new Intel feature called Intel Authenticate, which appears to currently only support Microsoft Windows, no other OS. Excerpt from press release is below:
https://twitter.com/IntelSSD/status/689557113488613377
Locking the PC’s Virtual Front Door with More than Password Protection
Hackers are finding new ways to break into old PCs through the virtual front door by stealing user credentials to gain privileges inside organizations. Today, more than half of data breaches start with misused or stolen user credentials5. Older PCs that use eight-character passwords that change every 90 days worked well a decade ago, but increasingly sophisticated attack methods require a deeper level of security. To address this, Intel is previewing a new security innovation called Intel Authenticate for businesses to begin internally testing and qualifying. Intel Authenticate is a hardware-enhanced, multifactor authentication solution that strengthens identity protection on the PC, making it less vulnerable2 to identity and security credential attacks. Intel Authenticate verifies identities by using a combination of up to three hardened factors at the same time: “something you know,” such as a personal identification number; “something you have,” including a mobile phone; and “something you are,” like a fingerprint. IT can choose from multiple hardened factors of authentication that are based on company policies, and no longer has to rely solely on employees remembering complicated passwords2. Intel Authenticate is compatible with Microsoft Windows* 7, 8 and 10, and is available for customers to preview.
Firmware Security 