Every computer we use today hides a secret. A ghost in the machine. It doesn’t matter if it’s your personal laptop, the server hosting your country’s power grid, or the mission systems aboard a fighter jet. This ghost is invisible, unstoppable, and, if abused, catastrophic. That ghost has two names: Intel Management Engine (IME) and AMD Platform Security Processor (PSP) . These aren’t optional “features.” They’re baked into the silicon of almost every modern Intel and AMD processor. And they have root authority over your system — authority higher than your operating system, higher than your antivirus, higher even than the administrator you think is in charge. What Are IME and PSP? Intel Management Engine (IME): A closed-source subsystem running on Intel chips since around 2008. It’s basically a computer inside your computer , running its own OS (a modified MINIX microkernel). It has network access, persistent storage, and direct access to system memory. It runs even when...