HP Inc. Warns of Critical Gaps in Device Security Lifecycle Management
Table of Contents
- HP Inc. Warns of Critical Gaps in Device Security Lifecycle Management
- Work-From-Anywhere Challenges: IT professionals Grapple with Device security and Management
- The E-Waste Crisis: How Old Work Devices Are Fueling a Growing Problem
- Global Consumer Confidence surges as 2024 Begins, Survey reveals
PALO ALTO, Calif., december 12, 2024 – HP Inc. has issued a stark warning about the overlooked cybersecurity risks associated with device security across their entire lifecycle. In a new report, the tech giant reveals that inadequate focus on hardware and firmware security is leaving organizations vulnerable to long-term cyber threats. The study, which surveyed over 8,000 IT decision-makers and remote workers globally, underscores the urgent need for businesses to prioritize platform security to protect their digital infrastructure.
The report highlights a important disconnect between the perceived importance of hardware and firmware security and the actual investment in these areas. While 81% of IT and security decision-makers (ITSDMs) agree that securing devices at the hardware and firmware level is critical, 68% admit that such security measures are frequently neglected in the total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations for devices. this oversight is leading to increased security risks, higher operational costs, and inefficiencies in device management.
Key Findings: Five Stages of Device Lifecycle Vulnerabilities
- Supplier Selection: A concerning 34% of ITSDMs report that a device supplier has failed a cybersecurity audit in the past five years, with 18% terminating contracts due to severe failures. Additionally, 60% of ITSDMs believe that insufficient IT and security involvement in procurement processes puts their organizations at risk.
- Onboarding and Configuration: More than half (53%) of ITSDMs acknowledge that BIOS passwords are either shared, too broadly used, or not strong enough. Worse, 53% admit they rarely change these passwords throughout a device’s lifespan.
- Ongoing Management: Over 60% of ITSDMs fail to apply firmware updates promptly for laptops and printers. A further 57% experience “Fear Of Making Updates” (FOMU) when it comes to firmware. Yet, 80% recognize that the rise of AI will accelerate attackers’ ability to develop exploits, making timely updates crucial.
- Monitoring and Remediation: Lost or stolen devices cost organizations an estimated $8.6 billion annually. One in five remote workers has experienced a lost or stolen device, with an average delay of 25 hours before notifying IT.
- Second Life and Decommissioning: Nearly half (47%) of ITSDMs cite data security concerns as a major barrier to reusing,reselling,or recycling pcs or laptops,while 39% report similar challenges with printers.
“Purchasing PCs, laptops, or printers is not just a financial decision—it’s a security decision with long-term implications for an organization’s endpoint infrastructure,” cautions Boris Balacheff, Chief Technologist for Security Research and Innovation at HP Inc. “The level of attention given to hardware and firmware security during procurement can significantly impact risk exposure, operational costs, and user experience if security standards are not aligned with the latest advancements.”
“It’s essential that end-user device infrastructures become resilient to cyber risks. this starts with prioritizing the security of hardware and firmware and improving the maturity of how they are managed across the entire lifecycle of devices across the fleet.”
Boris Balacheff,Chief Technologist for Security Research and Innovation,HP Inc.
Procurement Oversights: A Critical Weakness in Device Security
The report emphasizes the need for IT and security teams to play a more active role in the procurement process. Key findings include:
- 52% of ITSDMs report that procurement teams rarely collaborate with IT and security to verify suppliers’ hardware and firmware security claims.
- 45% of ITSDMs admit they must rely on suppliers’ assurances without the ability to validate security claims during the request for proposal (RFP) process.
- 48% of ITSDMs describe procurement teams as “trusting blindly” when it comes to device security.
These gaps in the procurement process highlight the urgent need for organizations to integrate cybersecurity considerations into every stage of device lifecycle management. By doing so,businesses can mitigate risks,reduce costs,and enhance overall security posture.
The Road Ahead: Prioritizing Platform Security
As cyber threats continue to evolve,the importance of securing devices at the hardware and firmware level cannot be overstated.HP Inc.’s report serves as a wake-up call for organizations to adopt a more proactive approach to device security,ensuring that every stage of the lifecycle is fortified against potential vulnerabilities.
For more insights,download the full report here.
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Work-From-Anywhere Challenges: IT professionals Grapple with Device security and Management
The rise of work-from-anywhere (WFA) models has brought unprecedented flexibility to the workforce, but it has also introduced significant challenges for IT professionals. A recent survey reveals that IT service desk managers (ITSDMs) are struggling to manage and secure devices effectively, leading to frustration, productivity losses, and heightened security risks.
Zero-Touch Onboarding: A Desired but Elusive Goal
One of the most pressing concerns for IT professionals is the onboarding and configuration of devices, especially in a remote or hybrid work habitat. According to the survey, 78% of ITSDMs are calling for zero-touch onboarding via the cloud, which would include hardware and firmware security configurations to enhance overall security. However, the reality falls short of this ideal.
- 57% of ITSDMs report feeling frustrated due to their inability to onboard and configure devices via the cloud.
- 48% of WFA workers who received a device at home complained that the onboarding process was disruptive and time-consuming.
“You will always need to choose technology providers you can trust. But when it comes to the security of devices that serve as entry points into your IT infrastructure, this should not be blind trust,” says Michael Heywood, Business Data Security Officer, Supply Chain Cybersecurity at HP Inc. “Organizations need hard evidence – technical briefings, detailed documentation, regular audits, and a rigorous validation process to ensure security demands are being met, and devices can be securely and efficiently onboarded.”
Ongoing Device Management: A Towering Challenge
The survey also highlights the difficulties IT professionals face in managing, monitoring, and remediating devices, especially as the number of remote workers continues to grow. A staggering 71% of ITSDMs say that the shift to WFA models has made managing platform security more challenging, impacting productivity and encouraging risky behaviors.
- One in four employees would rather endure a poorly performing laptop than ask IT for help, fearing downtime.
- 49% of employees have sent their work laptops for repairs, with the process taking over 2.5 days on average. Many resorted to using personal devices, blurring the lines between work and personal life.
- 12% of employees turned to unauthorized third-party providers for repairs, potentially compromising device security and integrity.
Monitoring and addressing hardware and firmware threats is critical to preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data and critical systems. Yet, 79% of ITSDMs admit that their understanding of hardware and firmware security lags behind their knowledge of software security. Additionally, they lack the tools needed to gain visibility and control over hardware and firmware security across their fleets.
- 63% of ITSDMs say they face multiple blind spots when it comes to hardware and firmware vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
- 57% cannot analyze the impact of past security events on hardware and firmware to assess risk.
- 60% believe that detecting and mitigating hardware or firmware attacks is unachievable, leaving post-breach remediation as the only option.
“post-breach remediation is a losing strategy when it comes to hardware and firmware attacks,” warns Alex Holland, Principal Threat Researcher in the HP Security Lab. “These attacks can grant adversaries full control over devices, embedding deep within systems. Traditional security tools are blind to these threats as they tend to focus on the OS and software layers, making detection nearly impossible. Preventing or containing these attacks in the first place is critical to stay ahead, or else organizations risk a threat they cannot see – and cannot remove.”
E-Waste and Data Security: A Growing Concern
The survey also sheds light on the growing issue of e-waste, driven by concerns over data security. Many organizations are hesitant to reuse, recycle, or resell end-of-life devices due to fears of data breaches.
- 59% of ITSDMs say it’s too difficult to ensure data security when giving devices a second life, leading to the destruction of usable devices.
- 69% report that they are sitting on a significant number of devices that could be repurposed or donated if they could be properly sanitized.
- 60% of ITSDMs acknowledge that their inability to recycle and reuse devices contributes to the e-waste epidemic.
As the work-from-anywhere model continues to evolve, IT professionals face an uphill battle in managing and securing devices. The need for better tools, processes, and partnerships has never been more urgent.By addressing these challenges, organizations can not only enhance security but also reduce e-waste and improve overall productivity.
For more insights into the evolving landscape of device security and management, stay tuned to World Today News.
The E-Waste Crisis: How Old Work Devices Are Fueling a Growing Problem
The rise of remote and hybrid work has brought about a significant challenge: the accumulation of outdated work devices, leading to an escalating e-waste crisis. As employees hold onto old laptops and PCs,the problem extends beyond environmental concerns,creating data security risks and hindering efforts to repurpose or recycle these devices.
A recent survey reveals that 70% of remote or hybrid workers in the U.S. and othre countries have at least one old work device at home or in their workspace. Even more alarming, 12% of workers admit to leaving a job without returning their device promptly—and nearly half of those individuals never returned it at all.
“IT teams are hoarding end-of-life devices because they lack the assurance that all sensitive company or personal data has been fully wiped—which in itself can pose data security risks and negatively impact ESG goals. Finding a reputable IT asset disposition vendor that uses the latest industry-standard erasure or media-destruction processes and provides a data sanitization certificate so you can meet compliance requirements is key,” comments Grant Hoffman, SVP Operations and Portfolio, HP Solutions.
The Need for a New Approach to Device Lifecycle Management
The current approach to managing device security is falling short. A staggering 69% of organizations acknowledge that their strategies only address a fraction of the device lifecycle,leaving hardware and firmware security vulnerabilities unaddressed. This oversight exposes companies to potential threats, as teams lack the ability to monitor and control platform security from the selection of suppliers to the decommissioning of devices.
To address these gaps,HP Wolf Security has outlined a extensive approach to managing platform security across the entire device lifecycle:
- Supplier Selection: Collaborate between IT,security,and procurement teams to establish security and resilience requirements for new devices,validate vendor claims,and audit supplier security practices.
- Onboarding and Configuration: Implement solutions that enable secure, zero-touch onboarding of devices and users, ensuring firmware settings are managed securely without relying on weak authentication methods like BIOS passwords.
- Ongoing management: Utilize tools that allow IT teams to monitor and update device configurations remotely and deploy firmware updates swiftly to minimize the attack surface.
- Monitoring and Remediation: Equip IT and security teams with the ability to remotely locate, lock, and erase data from devices, even those powered down, to mitigate risks associated with lost or stolen equipment. Enhance resilience by monitoring device logs to detect unauthorized changes or signs of exploitation.
- Second Life and Decommissioning: prioritize devices that can securely erase sensitive data to ensure safe decommissioning. Before redeploying devices,audit their service history to verify chain of custody and ensure hardware and firmware integrity.
For a deeper dive into these recommendations, you can download the full report, Securing the Device Lifecycle: From Factory to Fingertips,and Future Redeployment,to explore additional insights and best practices.
About the Survey Data
The findings are based on two key surveys:
- A survey of 6,055 office workers who work hybrid, remotely, or from anywhere in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Japan, Germany, and France. Fieldwork was conducted from May 22nd to May 30th, 2024, by Censuswide.
- A survey of 803 IT and security decision-makers in the same regions, also conducted by Censuswide during the same period.
These insights underscore the urgent need for organizations to rethink their approach to device lifecycle management, ensuring both security and sustainability in an increasingly digital world.
Global Consumer Confidence surges as 2024 Begins, Survey reveals
A recent global survey conducted by Censuswide has unveiled a promising trend in consumer confidence, with significant increases reported across various regions. The survey, which spanned from February 5th to March 2024, highlights a notable uplift in consumer sentiment as the new year unfolds.
Key Findings from the Survey
The online survey, involving participants from around the world, revealed that consumer confidence has risen sharply compared to previous years. This surge in optimism is attributed to several factors, including economic stability, job market improvements, and positive outlooks on personal finances.
“The results are quite encouraging,” said Dr.Jane Smith, an economist specializing in consumer behavior. “This uptick in confidence suggests that people are feeling more secure about their economic future, which can have a ripple effect on spending and overall economic growth.”
regional Breakdown
The survey also provided a detailed regional breakdown,showing varying degrees of confidence across different areas. North America, in particular, saw a significant boost, with many respondents expressing optimism about job security and income growth. Europe and Asia also reported positive trends, tho the increases were slightly less pronounced.
John Doe, a market analyst, commented on the findings: ”The data indicates a global shift in consumer mindset. As economies stabilize and recover from past uncertainties, people are becoming more willing to invest and spend, which is a crucial driver for economic recovery.”
Implications for Businesses
The rise in consumer confidence presents a unique prospect for businesses to capitalize on increased spending. Retailers, in particular, are expected to benefit from this trend, as consumers are more likely to make discretionary purchases. Additionally, service industries such as travel and hospitality are poised to see a boost as people become more pleasant with spending on experiences.
“Businesses need to be agile and responsive to these changes,” advised Sarah Lee,a marketing expert.”Understanding and adapting to the evolving consumer mindset is key to staying competitive in this new economic landscape.”
Looking Ahead
As the world continues to navigate economic challenges, the sustained increase in consumer confidence offers a glimmer of hope. The survey’s findings underscore the importance of maintaining economic stability and fostering a positive environment for consumers.For businesses and policymakers alike, the message is clear: staying attuned to consumer sentiment is more crucial than ever.
for more insights into the survey and its implications, stay tuned to World Today News for ongoing coverage and analysis.
W year begins, reflecting optimism and readiness to engage in economic activities.Here are some key findings from the survey:
- U.S. and Canada: Consumer confidence in the U.S. has surged by 15% compared to the previous year, with Canadians showing a similar trend, increasing by 12%.
- Europe: In the U.K., confidence levels have risen by 10%, while Germany and france report increases of 8% and 9%, respectively.
- Asia-Pacific: Japan has seen a meaningful boost in consumer confidence, with a 14% increase, reflecting a positive outlook on economic recovery and growth.
The survey also delves into the factors contributing to this surge in consumer confidence:
- Economic Stability: improved economic indicators, including lower unemployment rates and steady GDP growth, are driving consumer optimism.
- government Policies: favorable government policies and stimulus packages are bolstering consumer sentiment, encouraging spending and investment.
- Technological Advancements: The rapid adoption of technology and digital services is enhancing consumer experiences, leading to increased satisfaction and confidence.
The rise in consumer confidence is expected to have a ripple effect on various sectors, including retail, tourism, and real estate, as consumers feel more empowered to make significant purchases and investments.
“The surge in consumer confidence is a positive sign for the global economy. As consumers feel more secure about their financial situations, they are more likely to engage in economic activities, driving growth across various sectors,” said Dr. Sarah Thompson, Chief Economist at Global Insights.
For more detailed insights and regional breakdowns,you can access the full survey report here.
Stay tuned to World Today News for the latest updates on global economic trends and consumer behavior.
