In an effort to help improve network security, IBM has started using new security hardware that is aimed at making it more difficult to become infected with viruses, end up being hacked, plus preventing other security problems.

IBM has begun using new security hardware from National Semiconductor Corp. in its desktop PCs in an effort to fend off viruses and hackers.

National Semiconductor’s SafeKeeper Trusted I/O devices add to its existing chip design a “trusted platform module” (TPM), a microcontroller that stores passwords, digital certificates and encryption keys. The devices conform to the TPM specifications developed by the Trusted Computing Group, a two-year-old standards body for hardware-based security technologies backed by IBM, Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co.