Intel has released its 2024 security report, highlighting its performance compared to its main competitors, AMD and Nvidia. In the report, Intel not only boasts about its own achievements but also criticizes both AMD and Nvidia. It claims that AMD has a large number of security vulnerabilities, while Nvidia is said to have critical security flaws.
AMD’s Security Issues
According to Intel, AMD suffers from 4.4 times more security vulnerabilities in firmware related to the “Root of Trust” (a crucial security component) compared to Intel. Additionally, AMD has 1.8 times more vulnerabilities in Confidential Computing Technologies. Intel also pointed out that AMD only discovered 57% of its security vulnerabilities by itself, while the rest were identified by external security experts, researchers, and even the public. Surprisingly, Intel claims that there are 78 security vulnerabilities in AMD’s products that the company has not attempted to fix.
Nvidia’s High-Risk Vulnerabilities
When it comes to Nvidia, Intel reports that all 18 security vulnerabilities found in the company’s products are classified as high-risk, potentially exposing users to serious security threats. In contrast, Intel states that its own graphics units had only 10 vulnerabilities, one of which is high-risk, while the rest are of medium severity.
While Intel’s report raises important points, it’s essential to approach these claims with caution. The number of security flaws is one factor in assessing security, but it’s not the only one. The severity of vulnerabilities, response time to fix them, and overall user protection are just as important.
Moreover, Intel itself has faced security criticisms. In October 2024, China accused the company of having widespread security flaws in its products, which casts doubt on the objectivity of Intel’s report.
This attack on its competitors comes at a crucial time. Despite Intel’s continued dominance in the x86 processor market, AMD has increased its market share by 5.7% in the third quarter of 2024, partly due to Intel’s issues with its 13th and 14th generation processors and its poor financial results in July.
Ultimately, Intel’s report forces us to consider two possibilities: either the company is warning users about its competitors’ security problems, or it is subtly marketing itself. Either way, the result is the same.
