Yeah...hopefully Intel is right

But why McAfee? Intel is a chipmaker, not a "scare 'em then sell 'em" security-software outfit. Otellini's answer was architectural. "We have concluded that security has now become the third pillar of computing," he told his listeners, "joining energy-efficient performance and Internet conductivity in importance."

And that third pillar, Otellini believes, will be best implemented in silicon, not software. "We believe that security will be most effective when enabled in hardware," he said. "Joining the assets of McAfee with Intel will accelerate and enhance the combination of hardware and software solutions."