HP Wolf Security Offers Unique Business PC Protection Against Physical Cyberattacks

HP announced the launch of HP Enterprise Security Edition, a unique suite of security capabilities designed to enhance the physical security of HP business class PCs. HP Enterprise Security Edition includes multilayered safeguards to protect PC hardware and firmware from targeted physical attacks, while giving IT admins unparalleled visibility to help detect unauthorized firmware, and component tampering throughout a device's lifecycle.

 

The rise of hybrid work and Work from Anywhere has increased the risk of PCs being compromised by attackers with brief physical access, underscoring the need for protection and visibility into the integrity of devices throughout their lifetimes. Over half (51%) of ITSDMs are concerned that they cannot verify if PC, laptop or printer hardware and firmware have been tampered with during transit1. This visibility helps to mitigate the risk of targeted attacks that gain a persistent foothold within a company.

 

HP Enterprise Security Edition help defends against such attacks by preventing harm to hardware and firmware layers in the PC, while also enabling IT teams to check if hardware and firmware have been altered by malicious third parties during a device’s lifetime.

 

Dr. Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems at HP Inc., comments:  

 

“Physical attacks are riskier and more difficult to perform, so they are typically targeted and organized – for instance, as part of a nation-state campaign or corporate espionage. But the lucrative market for selling access to corporate networks means more opportunistic attacks – spotting an unattended PC and briefly plugging in a ThunderboltTM device – could be worth the risk for a cybercriminal.”

 

Pratt continues, “By tampering with device hardware and firmware, attackers can gain an almost undetectable foothold on a device, which could help them gain access to a corporate network or mount destructive attacks. This is attractive to bad actors, providing them with unparalleled visibility and control – and multiple ways to monetize.”

 

To combat these physical cyber threats, HP Enterprise Security Edition equips PCs with the following multilayered protection capabilities:

HP Enterprise Security Edition delivers platform integrity protection capabilities by ensuring the hardware and firmware beneath the operating system are more secure and resilient to physical attacks. This enables organizations to manage risk to their endpoint device supply chain by validating hardware and firmware integrity prior to device onboarding. Importantly, this will help organizations implement strong governance and controls over the security of their PC hardware and firmware across their device lifecycle. Finally, end users can be confident and reassured that their sensitive data is protected however and wherever they work.

 

Dr. Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems at HP Inc., comments:

 

"Securing PCs from physical attack is often overlooked, but if bad actors want your data badly enough, they’ll go to any lengths to obtain it. Whether it's from executives traveling for work and leaving a laptop in an insecure hotel room or stepping away in a cafe to buy a coffee, there are many ways devices could find themselves exposed.”

 

Pratt concludes:

 

“Preventing cyber-attacks on the hardware and firmware of a device is key to maintain integrity of an organization’s PC endpoint supply chain. HP Enterprise Security Edition introduces new defensive capabilities for PC hardware and firmware. This will help safeguard data and protect the integrity of the PC fleet, while shining a light on threats lurking below the operating system surface, where traditional security tools can’t go.”

Source: HP media announcement