Cybersecurity

Intel confirms it didn't tell national security officials about chip flaws

Intel has confirmed to Rep. Greg Walden that the company withheld information about security weaknesses in its computer chips from U.S. national security officials until after news of the vulnerabilities leaked out online.

In a letter Walden made public Thursday, Intel told the Republican congressman from Hood River that it was following standard procedure for dealing with newly uncovered security flaws.

Intel said there was "no indication that any of these vulnerabilities had been exploited by malicious actors," wrote Greg Pearson, an Intel vice president in charge of the company's public affairs.

Standard practice, he wrote, is to keep security flaws secret until companies - working collaboratively - have had a chance to develop fixes. That prevents hackers from taking advantage.