According to the company, the Qualcomm Smart Protect hardware-based tool is not as the same as conventional anti-virus apps that thoroughly goes through and searches for known threats collected by the manufacturer. Any new malware, which is not in the antivirus app’s known list of threats, can go past the security check process and enter the device. On the other hand, the Smart Protect detects zero-day malware threats in real time and alerts the user to take necessary measures. This is done by looking at the actual behavior of device applications to find out and categorize behavior that looks anomalous or suspicious. According to the chip maker, Smart Protect completes the existing signature-based anti-malware solutions, as it is able to examine and find out new threats before a signature is even available. It also does not need any internet connection and can work offline. The company’s Zeroth is the first cognitive computing platform that is the technology behind the Qualcomm Smart Protect. The firm explains “Zeroth is highly-optimized heterogeneous hardware and software architecture that is uniquely designed to deliver high performance on-device cognitive capabilities by taking full advantage of Snapdragon processors’ heterogeneous compute capabilities, as well as algorithmic innovations in machine learning and low power sensor processing.” The firm is already working with some OEMs and ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) including Avast, AVG, and Lookout, using an API to utilize Smart Protect capabilities in their commercial products. “Like all Qualcomm Haven Security Solutions, Snapdragon Smart Protect is grounded in Qualcomm SecureMSM technology, keeping the core of Snapdragon Smart Protect more secure even if the operating system is compromised,” the company said in the blog post. The Snapdragon 820 SoC will start showing up in consumer devices in the first half of 2016 says Qualcomm.
Earlier this month, the chip maker disclosed as compared to the Adreno 430, its Adreno 530 GPU will offer up to 40 percent faster performance while consuming 40 percent less power. The company has also claimed that its new image signal processing (ISP) unit would enable mobile cameras to capture pictures of DSLR-quality.
