Page 170 - Cyber Defense eMagazine RSAC Special Edition 2025

From Factory Floor to Second Life: Why Platform

Security Must Be Managed Throughout the Lifecycle

of a Device

By Boris Balacheff, Chief Technologist for Security Research and Innovation at HP Inc.

Laptops, PCs and printers are the workhorses of the modern enterprise. Given their multi-year lifespan,
and the growing importance of device security down to the hardware and firmware level, the choice of
endpoints is foundational for securing enterprise infrastructure. Just like software, device security should
be assessed, managed and monitored proactively through its lifetime – from manufacturing to
onboarding, ongoing management, remediation, and even second life or decommissioning.

New research from HP Wolf Security reveals that despite the growing awareness of the importance of
device security – securing the hardware and firmware of PCs, laptops printers, or other devices – it is
often overlooked. Part of this stems from a lack of maturity, with 79% of IT and Security Decision Makers
(ITSDMs) saying their understanding of hardware and firmware security lags behind their knowledge of
software security. But part of it is down to the recent evolution of the device technology landscape, where
not all vendors prioritize this area of technology, and many don’t provide tools and capabilities to simplify
ongoing management of hardware and firmware security.

There are security challenges at every stage of the device lifecycle that can only be solved with an end-
to-end approach to securing and managing hardware and firmware configuration.

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