News
HP Wolf Security Study Reveals Alarming Platform Security Gaps In Device Lifecycle
Published
9 months agoon
By
Editor
HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) has released a new report highlighting the far-reaching cybersecurity implications of failing to secure devices at every stage of their lifecycle.
This was made known in a statement released on December 12, 2024.
The findings show that platform security, securing the hardware and firmware of PCs, laptops, and printers, is often overlooked, weakening cybersecurity posture for years to come.
The report, based on a global study of 800+ IT and security decision-makers, ITSDM, and 6000+ work-from-anywhere employees, shows that platform security is a growing concern, with 81% of IT decision-makers agreeing that hardware and firmware security must become a priority to ensure attackers cannot exploit vulnerable devices.
However, 68% report that investment in hardware and firmware security is often overlooked in the total cost of ownership for devices. This is leading to costly security headaches, management overheads, and inefficiencies further down the line.
According to the statement, Key findings from across the five stages of the device lifecycle include:
Supplier Selection: In addition, 34% say a PC, laptop or printer supplier has failed a cybersecurity audit in the last five years, with 18% saying the failure was so serious that they terminated their contract. 60% of ITSDMs say the lack of IT and security involvement in device procurement puts the organization at risk.
Onboarding and Configuration: More than half (53%) of ITSDMs say BIOS passwords are shared, used too broadly, or are not strong enough. Moreover, 53% admit they rarely change BIOS passwords over the lifetime of a device.
Ongoing Management: Over 60% of ITSDMs do not make firmware updates as soon as they’re available for laptops or printers. A further 57% of ITSDMs say they get FOMU (Fear Of Making Updates) in relation to firmware. Yet 80% believe the rise of AI means attackers will develop exploits faster, making it vital to update quickly.
Monitoring and Remediation: Every year, lost and stolen devices cost organizations an estimated $8.6bn. One in five WFA employees have lost a PC or had one stolen, taking an average 25 hours before notifying IT.
Second Life and Decommissioning: Nearly half (47%) of ITSDMs say data security concerns are a major obstacle when it comes to reusing, reselling, or recycling PCs or laptops, while 39% say it’s a major obstacle for printers.
READ ALSO: HP Wolf Security Offers Unique Business PC Protection Against Physical Cyberattacks
“Buying PCs, laptops or printers is a security decision with long-term impact on an organization’s infrastructure. The prioritization, or lack thereof, of hardware and firmware security requirements during procurement can have ramifications across the entire lifetime of a fleet of devices – from increased risk exposure, to driving up costs or negative user experience – if security and manageability requirements are set too low compared to the available state of the art,” warns Boris Balacheff, Chief Technologist for Security Research and Innovation at HP Inc.
Balacheff continues: “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.”
The report highlights the growing need for IT and security to be part of the procurement process for new devices, to set the requirements and verify vendor security claims, Oversights in the supplier selection process and onboarding and configuration limitations impact device security across the lifecycle.
52% of ITSDMs say procurement teams rarely collaborate with IT and security to verify suppliers’ hardware and firmware security claims.
45% of ITSDMs admit they have to trust suppliers are telling the truth as they don’t have the means to validate hardware and firmware security claims in RFPs.
48% of ITDMS even say that procurement teams are like “lambs to the slaughter” as they’ll believe anything vendors say.
78% of ITSDMs want zero-touch onboarding via the cloud to include hardware and firmware security configuration to improve security.
57% of ITSDMs feel frustrated at not being able to onboard and configure devices via the cloud.
Almost half (48%) of WFA workers who had a device delivered to their home complained that the onboarding and configuration process was disruptive.
“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,” comments Michael Heywood, Business Information 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.”
Challenges and frustrations around the ongoing management, monitoring and remediation of devices, 71% of ITSDMs say the rise in work-from-anywhere models has made managing platform security more difficult, impacting worker productivity and creating risky behaviors:
One in four employees would rather put up with a poor-performing laptop than ask IT to fix or replace it because they can’t afford the downtime.
49% of employees have sent their laptop to be repaired, and say this took over 2.5 days to fix or replace the device, forcing many to use their personal laptop for work or to borrow one from family or friends, blurring the lines between personal and professional use.
12% had an unauthorized third-party provider repair a work device, potentially compromising platform security and clouding IT’s view of device integrity.
Monitoring and remediating hardware and firmware threats to prevent threat actors accessing sensitive data and critical systems is vital. However, 79% of ITSDMs say their understanding of hardware and firmware security lags behind their knowledge of software security. Moreover, they lack mature tools that would give them the visibility and control they would want to manage hardware and firmware security across their fleets:
63% of ITSDMs say they face multiple blind spots around device hardware and firmware vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
57% cannot analyze the impact of past security events on hardware and firmware to assess devices at risk.
60% say that detection and mitigation of hardware or firmware attacks is impossible, viewing post-breach remediation as the only path.
“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.”
Second life and decommissioning: how data security concerns are leading to an e-waste epidemic
Platform security concerns are also impeding organizations’ ability to reuse, recycle or resell end of life devices:
59% of ITSDMs say it’s too hard to give devices a second life and so they often destroy devices over data security concerns.
69% say they are sitting on a significant number of devices that could be repurposed or donated if they could sanitize them.
60% of ITSDMs admit their failure to recycle and reuse perfectly usable laptops is leading to an e-waste epidemic.
Complicating matters further, many employees sit on old work devices. This not only prevents devices from being repurposed, but it also creates data security risks around orphaned devices that still may carry corporate data.
70% of WFA employees have at least 1 old work PC/laptop at home or in their office workspace.
12% of WFA workers have left a job without returning their device right away – and almost half of these say they never did.
More than two thirds (69%) of organizations say their approach to managing device hardware and firmware security only addresses a small part of their lifecycle. This leaves devices exposed, and teams unable to monitor and control platform security from supplier selection to decommissioning.
Addressing these platform security gaps, HP Wolf Security recommends a comprehensive approach to managing device hardware and firmware security across the entire lifecycle. This includes collaborative supplier selection and auditing, secure zero-touch onboarding and configuration, ongoing monitoring and management, effective monitoring and remediation, and secure decommissioning and second-life management.
You may like
HP Selects Nigeria Cohort For 2025 Digital Equity Accelerator
When We Love What We Do, Work Does Not Feel Like Work – HP
HP Introduces Breakthrough Innovations to Lead the Future of Work in Large Format Printing
‘I Am Not a Robot’, CAPTCHAs Being Used to Spread Malware, HP Warns
Poor Healthcare Infrastructure Delays Early Detection Of Cervical Cancer
HP Report Uncovers South African Youth’s Growing Interest in Gaming Careers Amid Awareness Gap
News
FG Unveils Revised Curriculum For Basic, Secondary, Technical Education
Published
6 hours agoon
August 31, 2025By
Editor
The Federal Government said it completed a comprehensive review of school curricula for basic, senior secondary and technical education aimed to make Nigerian learners “future-ready.”
The Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement signed on Friday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, and made available to newsmen on Sunday.
Folasade said the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad announced the curriculum on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, while speaking in Abuja.
READ ALSO:FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions
According to the minister, the review was carried out in collaboration with key education stakeholders, including the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, the Universal Basic Education Commission, the National Senior Secondary Education Commission and the National Board for Technical Education.
The new framework is designed to reduce content overload, improve learning outcomes, and ensure Nigerian students are equipped with skills relevant to today’s global demands.
Prof. Ahmad said the exercise went beyond merely trimming subjects, stressing it focused on improving content to promote deeper learning and reduce overload for pupils and students.
“Under the revised structure, pupils in Primary 1–3 will study a minimum of nine and a maximum of 10 subjects; pupils in Primary 4–6 will take 10 to 12 subjects. Junior secondary students may offer 12 to 14 subjects, senior secondary students will take eight to nine subjects, and technical schools will offer nine to 11 subjects,” the statement read.
READ ALSO:FG To Disburse Interest-free Loans To Farmers, Small Businesses – GEEP
“The revised curricula will reduce content overload and create more learning time for students,” Prof. Ahmad said, adding that the changes reflect the government’s commitment to delivering quality, practical and relevant education in a rapidly changing world.
The Ministry of Education commended stakeholders for their role in the review and said implementation will be accompanied by strict monitoring to ensure a smooth transition across schools nationwide.
The ministry did not give an exact date for rollout, but said the new curricula will be phased in with oversight from relevant agencies to guarantee effective adoption.
News
Over 23,000 People Still Missing In Nigeria — ICRC
Published
6 hours agoon
August 31, 2025By
Editor
The International Committee of the Red Cross says more than 23,659 people remain missing in Nigeria, leaving 13,595 families in anguish, most of them women struggling with uncertainty and hardship.
Protection of Family Links Team Leader of ICRC in Damaturu, Mr Ishaku Luka, disclosed this on Sunday during activities to mark the International Day of the Disappeared.
He said 68 per cent of those still searching for answers were women, while 59 per cent of those missing were minors at the time of their disappearance.
According to him, Yobe State alone accounts for 2,500 cases, the majority recorded in Gujba Local Government Area.
“Behind every missing person is a family living in pain, uncertainty, and economic difficulty.
READ ALSO:‘Court Of Corruption’ — Obasanjo Knocks INEC Chairman, Judiciary In New Book
“The anguish is compounded by legal, administrative, and psychosocial challenges. These families deserve acknowledgement, care and support,” Luka said.
He explained that the issue of missing persons was one of the most devastating consequences of armed conflicts, disasters, and migration.
He urged parties to conflicts, authorities, and communities to take greater responsibility in preventing disappearances.
Sharing ICRC’s interventions, Luka said by June 30, the organisation had collected 451 new cases in Nigeria, and closed 515 cases.
Luka added that the organisation had facilitated the reunification of seven separated children with their families.
READ ALSO:FG To Earn N180bn From Fire, Cassava Investments – ICRC
“Every day, worldwide, we help reunite 20 people with their families. Every hour, we help clarify the fate of two missing people. Every minute, we help four separated persons contact their loved ones,” he added.
Head of ICRC Sub-delegation in Damaturu, Mr Rashid Hassan, said families of the missing should not be left alone in their struggles.
“Time does not heal. Acknowledgement, answers and respect do. Families must know that their loved ones are not forgotten and their demands are heard,” Hassan stressed.
He said the ICRC, working with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), had provided mental health and psychosocial support, livelihood assistance, and orientation programmes for families of missing persons in Borno and Adamawa states.
Hassan urged authorities to fulfill their obligations by clarifying the fate of missing persons, protecting the dignity of the dead, and addressing the economic and social needs of the affected families.
READ ALSO:Why Super Eagles Coach, Peseiro’s Contract Should Not Be Renewed’
He also called on society to show solidarity, avoid stigmatisation, and support the resilience of families searching for answers.
Globally, Hassan said, more than 94,000 people were newly registered as missing in 2024, bringing the total to 284,400.
He stressed, however, that the figure represented only a fraction of the real number.
“As we commemorate this day, we renew our commitment to advocate for the rights of the disappeared and to push for continuous efforts in searching for answers.
“No family should live with the torment of uncertainty,” Hassan said.
(NAN)
News
Ex-TVC’s ‘Your View Host,’ Afolabi-Brown, Admits Ignorance In Past Criticism Of Peter Obi
Published
6 hours agoon
August 31, 2025By
Editor
… narratives how she once considered suicide
Former Your View host, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, has said her past remarks about former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, were made without knowing much about him or his record in office.
The veteran media personality, in an interview with Chude Jideonwo, explained that her comments on the Labour Party presidential candidate at the time were not based on personal familiarity with his record.
“It was because I did not know him. After I made that comment, people called me and said, ‘Morayo, do you realise that when he was governor, he actually served us?’
“So that was him. I said, ‘Oh, I did not know,’” she said.
The broadcaster also opened up about her battle with depression, recalling how she once considered taking her own life.
READ ALSO:Your View Host, Morayo Brown, Resigns From TVC
“I was depressed. It got so bad that I thought I was suicidal. I just left everything behind.
“I remember just walking on the express, hoping a car would hit me. It was that bad,” she revealed.
Afolabi-Brown explained that she decided to step away from Your View after the show’s tenth anniversary, saying she had long harboured the thought of moving on.
“It was when we were 10 years old that I knew it was time to move on to the next thing.
READ ALSO:Ghana Threatens To Suspend DSTV Licence Over Price Hike
“I’ve been harbouring that thought for a while, but I just didn’t know to what or where, you know.
“But I think last year, I got that light bulb moment,” she said.
Brown further narrated how she was sacked from TVC until her identity became known to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“People now call Asiwaju, ‘Do you know whose child was sacked?’ He said, ‘I’m not aware.’
READ ALSO:Naira Abuse: Don’t Condemn Tompolo Over Mere Allegation, Says EFCC Boss
“He said, ‘This is the Alao Aka-Bashorun’s daughter. That’s when he knew it was me,” she recalled.
On controversies during her career, she revisited the uproar that trailed an on-air interview in which she was accused of calling her husband a pedophile.
According to her, the First Lady’s intervention helped her make peace and publicly apologise.
Her exit from Your View, she noted, marked the end of her 12-year journey on the breakfast show.
- FULL LIST: APC Sweeps Rivers Elections, Wins 20 Of 23 LGAs
- 12 IDPs Suffer Snake Bites In Benue Camps
- Mob Lynches Woman Over Alleged Blasphemous Utterance In Niger
- Liverpool Vs Arsenal: Gunners Seek 1st EPL Win At Anfield Since 2012
- FG Unveils Revised Curriculum For Basic, Secondary, Technical Education
- Keyamo Warns PDP Against Fielding Jonathan, Obi In 2027
- Over 23,000 People Still Missing In Nigeria — ICRC
- Ex-TVC’s ‘Your View Host,’ Afolabi-Brown, Admits Ignorance In Past Criticism Of Peter Obi
- A’Ibom Govt Reacts As Eno Is Accused Of Deducting Tithe From Workers’ Salaries
- Ex-Tinubu Campaign Coordinator Resigns From APC
Trending
- News4 days ago
JUST IN: Immigration Hikes Passport Fees To N100,000, N200,000
- Politics4 days ago
Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH
- News4 days ago
Firm Wants Attorney-General Investigate Court Ruling On Breach Of Contract
- News1 day ago
JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead
- News5 days ago
US Court Sentences Osun Monarch To Prison Over $4.2m Fraud
- News3 days ago
BREAKING: Former Customs Comptroller-General, Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha, Is Dead
- News4 days ago
Ondo Bans Graduation Ceremonies In Primary, Junior Secondary Schools
- News4 days ago
Access Holdings Names New GMD/CEO
- Metro4 days ago
Man Stabs Colleague To Death In Lagos Over Money Dispute
- News4 days ago
JUST IN: NLC Defies Edo Assembly Resolution, Inaugurates Factional Caretaker Committee