Traceable chips Intel focuses on transparency in the supply chain

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Intel Deutschland GmbH

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Intel is making the origin of its processors more traceable. With the new Assured Supply Chain (ASC) program, the company offers a manufacturing process that enables customers to seamlessly trace the supply chain of their chips.

Intel's aim is not only to make counterfeiting more difficult, but also to help companies and authorities to better assess security risks in their IT infrastructure.

Secure supply chain for the latest Core Ultra processors

The ASC program will start in the second half of 2025 with selected Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors for notebooks and desktops (including Arrow Lake). These chips can be recognized by the letter "A" in the model designation. With the help of industry tools, customers can track which countries were involved in production - from chip production to final assembly and the finished product.

Intel relies on a specially secured manufacturing process that is used exclusively for ASC processors. Production takes place exclusively in Intel's own or contractually secured plants to prevent unauthorized tampering or manipulation in the supply chain.

"We are one of the few companies that can offer something like this," explains Jennifer Larson, General Manager of Commercial Client Segments at Intel, in an interview with ELEKTRONIKPRAXIS at MWC 2025. The first OEM partners include HP and Lenovo, with other manufacturers set to follow soon, the Intel manager confirms.

Possible expansion to other product lines

The ASC program complements Intel's existing security solutions such as Intel vPro Fleet Services, which support companies in the efficient management of their hardware assets. In the long term, Intel plans to expand the program to other product lines. The next processors to run under ASC will depend on market demand and customer requirements. The focus is particularly on desktop and server CPUs, as companies place the highest demands on security and traceability.

Why protection against counterfeit hardware is so important

Counterfeit or compromised hardware poses a serious threat - especially for companies and authorities with high security requirements. Reports of manipulated or counterfeited processors that not only cause performance losses but also open up potential backdoors for cyber attacks are emerging time and again.

Many industries are subject to strict compliance requirements. Regulatory authorities are increasingly demanding that companies prove the origin of their hardware and guarantee secure procurement channels. Particularly in the USA, the EU and China, efforts are being made to regulate the supply chains of IT components more strictly - among other things, to prevent the use of components from unsafe or politically problematic sources.

Intel wants to counteract these risks with ASC. Customers should be able to rest assured that their processors come from a secure production facility - a crucial factor for sensitive areas such as government networks, the financial sector and critical infrastructure. (mc)