---
title: "Perspective: Why a Sports Car Is a Great Analogy for the Impact of Meltdown and Spectre Fix"
description: How are a sportscar and the impact of the Spectre and Meltdown updates related? Here is a fresh angle to the story that really puts the Intel CPU fix in perspective.
---

[SecureWorld News ](https://www.secureworld.io/industry-news)

# [Perspective: Why a Sports Car Is a Great Analogy for the Impact of Meltdown and Spectre Fix](https://www.secureworld.io/industry-news/legal-perspective-meltdown-spectre-intel)

 Written by [SecureWorld News Team](https://www.secureworld.io/industry-news/author/secureworld-news-team) | Wed | Jan 24, 2018 | 3:44 PM Z

We are so fortunate to work with incredible InfoSec experts here at SecureWorld. This includes Dr. Chris Pierson, an attorney who serves on the Department of Homeland Security's Data Privacy & Integrity Advisory Committee and Cybersecurity Subcommittee, and is a Distinguished Fellow of the Ponemon Institute.

The last time we saw him was at SecureWorld Denver, one of our [15 regional cybersecurity conferences](https://www.secureworld.io/events/), giving the keynote.

Just now, we've come across a thought provoking commentary of his on Dark Reading, "Meltdown, Spectre Patches, Performance & My Neighbor's Sports Car."

As I consider potential impacts from Meltdown and Spectre, what strikes me most is not the typical cybersecurity risks, reputational impacts, and operational hits. In the coming weeks and months, we will see lawsuits against the chip manufacturers, operating system providers, and OEM manufacturers whose devices house these chips and are the point of contact between the user and the chipset.

Surprisingly, it was my neighbors' sports car that led me to focus on the legal issues, not the industry evaluation and response to the chip vulnerability. When my neighbor was showing me his new Porsche, he made me think about engineering, performance, and speed, as well as the difference in our expectations when we make purchasing decisions. When a person buys a high-performance vehicle, he or she has certain expectations about speed, acceleration, and craftsmanship. For a sports car, the engine is the most critical part of the vehicle, and really it's what the car is built around.  

[Read the rest of his commentary](https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities---threats/meltdown-spectre-patches-performance-and-my-neighbors-sports-car/a/d-id/1330863) for a fresh perspective on performance impacts from Intel's CPU updates and what the ramifications will likely be. And thanks again to Dr. Pierson for his contributions to the SecureWorld community of InfoSec leaders across the United States!

Related: [Intel asks companies to stop deploying Spectre, Meltdown updates](https://www.secureworld.io/industry-news/intel-statement-meltdown-spectre)

[View full post](https://www.secureworld.io/industry-news/legal-perspective-meltdown-spectre-intel)

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