Security patches slowing down PCs, servers-Microsoft

Software patches released to guard against security threats are slowing down some personal computers and servers, according to Microsoft. Systems running on older Intel Corp (INTC.O) processors are reported seeing a noticeable decrease in performance.

It became clear from comments posted on a blog by Microsoft that that fixes for flaws in microchips from Intel and rivals described last week could meaningfully degrade performance. The topic is of keen interest to large data center operators, which could incur significant cost increases if computers slow down.

Security researchers disclosed the flaws on Jan. 3 that affected nearly every modern computing device containing chips from Intel, AMD and ARM Holdings, owned by Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T).

Microsoft also said that security updates froze some computers using chipsets from Intel rival AMD (AMD.O), dragging AMD’s shares down nearly 4 percent.

"We (and others in the industry) had learned of this vulnerability under nondisclosure agreement several months ago and immediately began developing engineering mitigations and updating our cloud infrastructure," Microsoft executive Terry Myerson wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.

Chips of Intel were most exposed to the security flaws as compared to AMD that resulted in shares of Intel fell 2.5 per cent since the issue surfaced last week. AMD shares on the other hand have gained nearly 20 percent in the last week.

The largest chipmaker had confirmed that flaws reported by researchers could allow hackers to steal sensitive information from computers, phones and other devices. Apple, Microsoft and other software makers have issued patches to protect against the vulnerabilities.

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