Scientists have devised a chip design to ensure microprocessors haven't been
surreptitiously equipped with malicious backdoors that could be used to siphon
sensitive information or receive instructions from adversaries.
The on-chip engines at the heart of these "tamper evident microprocessors"
are the computer equivalent of cellophane shrink wrap or aluminum seals that
flag food or drug packages that have been opened by someone other than the
consumer. They're designed to monitor operations flowing through a CPU for signs
its microcode has been altered by malicious insiders during the design cycle.
