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Disabling Intel’s backdoors on modern laptops
(hackaday.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Intel Management Engine is a component that has access to your computer on a level that even you, the computer owner, don't have access to. It can be operated remotely, even when your computer is off.
And traditionally you can't even disable it (remember, you're not the trusted party in that mix).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Management_Engine
My understanding is that it's meant to be an enterprise tool for Sys admins of business and schools to allow for remote monitoring and troubleshooting, but because it's expensive to make two sets of devices, it's in everything.
Relevant bits from that wiki:
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So who is using it? Where are tools which allow you to set up and manage the infrastructure? Why it can't be disabled, except hacks, and one undocumented feature requested by NSA, because they did not want it running? It is a backdoor, if it wasn't it would be disabled by default and you would have to pay premium to have that feature enabled.
Enterprise. Intel has a tool that lets you use it but other management services like SCCM and landesk have methods to use amt/vpro.