[whage]

Doesn't encryption protect against these low level network backdoors? I'd think that encryption happens in the upper layers so by the time traffic goes through the ME, it is just gibberish. Someone with expertise enlighten me, please!

[M95D]

ME has unrestricted access to everything in the system via PCI bus. It can read all memory via DMA, access any card, any USB, everything. I expect it can communicate with SMM too and it can stop the main CPU if it wants to.