Securing Data Centers, Handheld Computers, and Networked Sensors against Viruses and Rootkits

Today's data centers, their handheld computers and network sensors, are discussed in terms of how they are penetrated by viruses and rootkits. This paper then presents a new computer architecture, implemented to be semantically compatible with an existing microprocessor, along with modification of several system components commonly found in data centers. The new computer architecture physically separates instruction memories from data-related memories removing the possibility of installing viruses and rootkits. Application compatibility is insured by the semantic compatibility of the cores with the existing superscalar microprocessor. Communications, memory controllers, and memory devices throughout the data center, handheld computers and network sensors physically segregate task-instruction information from data-related information to further remove any opportunity for these hidden threats becoming installed threats.