Many people think it is not possible to physically break your computer. If any lesson should be learned from the Stuxnet virus it is that hardware CAN be broken using software.
What can be done to Iran’s nuclear power plants can also be done to your computer however. In jargon this is known as ‘PDOS’ or ‘Permanent Denial Of Service’.
Today’s PC’s are often very sophisticated pieces of hardware where many efforts are done to make the system upgradable through easy firmware upgrades, environment friendly through power control, easily over-clockable for the powerusers that want to squeeze the maximum performance out of their PC, or even the microcode of your CPU can be upgraded.
These sophisticated ways of controlling your PC come with a potential weakness however:
- If your firmware can be upgraded through software from your computer vendor… it can also be upgraded through software from a hacker. A PC with it’s firmware under control of a hacker can in fact be BROKEN when the firmware is custom made to block certain functions, or all functions of your PC
- If the voltage to several components in your PC can be optimized to certain profiles like ‘low power consumption’ or ‘maximum performance’ by software from your computer vendor… it can also be changed by software from a hacker. A PC with too high a voltage to some components can in fact be BROKEN.
- If your fanspeed can be controlled by your PC to prevent it from going over a certain temperature, it can also be controlled by software written by a hacker. They could in fact completely turn off your fan, potentially resulting in the circuitry in your computer to fail, melt, or even cause fire.
