Gadgets Africa
  • News
    Microsoft introduces ads to Bing AI chatbot

    Microsoft introduces ads to Bing AI chatbot

    Executives at Meta Platforms Inc are discussing a company-wide ban on political advertising in Europe.

    Meta considers ban on political ads

    Twitter unveils prices for API access

    Twitter unveils prices for API access

    Microsoft raises Bing AI chat limit to 200 daily

    Microsoft raises Bing AI chat limit to 200 daily

    Instagram introduces bookmarking feature

    Instagram introduces bookmarking feature

    Hackers target UAE users with Spanish spyware - Google

    Hackers target UAE users with Spanish spyware – Google

    EFCC detains tech firm Kloud Commerce's founder Olumide Olusanya

    EFCC detains tech firm Kloud Commerce’s founder Olumide Olusanya

    Google to launch extreme heat alerts feature

    Google to launch extreme heat alerts feature

    Musk, experts call for pause on AI development

    Musk, experts call for pause on AI development

  • Apps
  • Cryptocurrency
  • featured
  • Telecommunications
  • Gadgets
  • FinTech
  • Tech leaders
Gadgets Africa
No Result
View All Result

Firmware attacks pose significant threat to laptops, PCs – Report

by Agency Report
June 28, 2022
in Computers
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Firmware attacks pose significant threat to laptops, PCs - Report
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Telegram

HP Inc., an American multinational Information Technology company, in its research, said that 83 per cent of IT leaders concluded that firmware attacks against laptops and PCs now pose a significant threat.

HP Inc. made this known in the latest report released by the HP Wolf Security Department on Tuesday.

The report said the shift to hybrid work models had transformed how organisations manage endpoint security.

The HP Wolf Security global survey of 1,100 IT leaders revealed that firmware attacks were a growing concern for IT leaders now that hybrid workers were connecting from home networks more frequently.

It said that with remote work, which was now the norm for many employees, there was a greater risk of working on potentially insecure home networks, meaning that the level of threat posed by firmware attacks had risen.

The report said that managing firmware security was becoming harder and taking longer in the era of hybrid work, leaving organisations exposed.

It said that more than two-thirds (67 per cent ) of IT leaders said protecting, detecting, and recovering from firmware attacks had become more difficult and time-consuming.

The report said this was due to the increase in working remotely, with 64 per cent saying the same of analysing the security of firmware configuration.

It noted that as a result, 80 per cent of IT leaders were worried about their capacity to respond to endpoint firmware attacks.

Dr Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems at HP Inc., said, “Firmware attacks are very disruptive and much harder to detect or remediate than your typical malware.

“Firmware often requires expert and even manual intervention to fix. This increases the cost and complexity of remediation, particularly in hybrid environments where devices are not on site for IT teams to access.

“Having more endpoints sitting outside of the protection of the corporate network also reduces visibility and increases exposure to attacks coming in via unsecured networks.

“At the same time, we are seeing a rise in destructive attacks such as wiper malware.”

He said that the 2021 research team saw attackers conducting surveys on firmware configurations, with the likely intent of exploiting unsecured configurations to weaponise for financial gain.

Pratt said once an attacker had gained control over the firmware configuration, they could exploit their position to gain persistence and hide from anti-malware solutions that live in the operating system (OS).

“This gives them an advantage, allowing them to stealthily maintain persistence on target devices, so they can gain access to infrastructure across the enterprise and maximise their impact,” he said.

Pratt said that in spite of the clear risks that firmware attacks pose to organisations, device security was not always a major consideration in the hardware procurement process.

He said that many organisations continue to use technologies that were not built with security in mind.

Pratt said the issue was made worse by the new shadow Information technology whereby employees purchased and connected devices outside of IT purview while working remotely.

He said that HP Wolf Security’s ‘Out of Mind and Out of Sight’ report found that 68 per cent of office workers that purchased devices to support remote work, said security was not a major consideration in their purchasing decision.

Pratt said that also 43 per cent did not have their new laptop or PC checked or installed by IT or security experts.

The Chief Technologist for Security Research and Innovation at HP Labs, Boris Balacheff said, “Security must become part of the procurement process when purchasing new IT devices.

“Organisations need to play the long game because the devices you procure today will be the environment you have to manage and protect tomorrow.

“One of the key issues that businesses face is that many organisations are still reliant on legacy devices that were built for older industry standards.

“This issue is leaving a gap in enterprise security that could take years to close.”

He said that as attackers continue to invest in the capability to attack and disrupt PCs and Internet of Things (IoTs) devices at the firmware level, organisations also need to learn how to monitor device security.

Balacheff said they could do this by updating procurement security requirements accordingly.

He said that updating security would enable leading organisations to stay ahead of emerging threats, detect and remediate firmware attacks at scale in the era of hybrid work. (NAN)

Tags: FIlmwareHP
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

My parents thought I was possessed when I started coding, now I make millions – 16-year-old programmer
Computers

My parents thought I was possessed when I started coding, now I make millions – 16-year-old programmer

by Agency Report
May 1, 2022
IBM unveils new product for real-time transactions
Computers

IBM unveils new product for real-time transactions

by Agency Report
April 11, 2022
Russian invasion: Ukraine raises $13m in crypto after crowdfunding appeal
Computers

Taiwan computer maker Acer suspends business in Russia

by Agency Report
April 9, 2022
Mobile broadband hits 6.9 billion subscriptions in 2021, says Ericsson
Computers

NCC alerts Nigerians to new cyber threats targeting Windows, routers

by Agency Report
April 1, 2022
Next Post
Macron slams TikTok algorithm over censorship, addiction

US agency writes Apple, Google to remove TikTok from app stores

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended.

Meta to charge Americans $15 for blue verification

Meta to charge Facebook, IG users for account verification

February 20, 2023
NASA unveils modern spacesuits for future US missions to moon

NASA unveils modern spacesuits for future US missions to moon

March 16, 2023

Trending.

Five top TV remote control apps for iOS devices

Five top TV remote control apps for iOS devices

January 20, 2023
Tesla cuts prices in China second time

Tesla slash prices by 20% to woo US buyers

January 13, 2023
Elon Musk's Starlink denied access in China

Elon Musk’s SpaceX offers satellite internet to Iran

September 20, 2022
Nigerians who buy second-hand iPhones, Samsung rise by 10% – Report

Nigerians who buy second-hand iPhones, Samsung rise by 10% – Report

May 24, 2022
Ifeoma Uddo Shecluded fintech start-up US consulate

Nigerian fintech start-up wins US competition

May 11, 2022
Gadgets Africa

© 2023 Gadgets Africa.

Navigate Site

  • News
  • Apps
  • Cryptocurrency
  • featured
  • Telecommunications
  • Gadgets
  • FinTech
  • Tech leaders

Share

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Apps
  • Cryptocurrency
  • featured
  • Telecommunications
  • Gadgets
  • FinTech
  • Tech leaders

© 2023 Gadgets Africa.

Go to mobile version