HP has released the findings of a global survey highlighting the growing concern over nation-state threat actors targeting physical supply chains and tampering with device hardware and firmware integrity.
► Wolf Security study finds one in five businesses impacted
► Threat actors are increasingly targeting physical supply chains
► Device tampering expected to increase
The study of 800 IT and security decision-makers responsible for device security highlights the need for businesses to focus on hardware and firmware integrity, with attacks on supply chains and device tampering expected to increase.
Key findings include:
- Almost one-in-five (19%) say they have been impacted by nation-state threat actors targeting physical PC, laptop or printer supply chains. In the US, this figure rises to 29%.
- Over a third (35%) believe that they or others they know have already been impacted by threat actors trying to insert malicious hardware or firmware into devices.
- Overall, 91% believe nation-state threat actors will target physical PC, laptop or printer supply chains to insert malware or malicious components into hardware and/or firmware.
- Almost two-thirds (63%) believe the next major attack will involve poisoning hardware supply chains to sneak in malware.
Alex Holland, principal threat researcher in the HP Security Lab, said: ‘System security relies on strong supply chain security, starting with the assurance that devices are built with the intended components and haven’t been tampered with during transit. If an attacker compromises a device at the firmware or hardware layer, they’ll gain unparalleled visibility and control over everything that happens on that machine. Just imagine what that could look like if it happens to the CEO’s laptop.
‘Such attacks are incredibly hard to detect, as most security tools sit within the operating system. Moreover, attacks that successfully establish a foothold below the OS are very difficult to remove and remediate, adding to the challenge for IT security teams.’
Four out of five (78%) of decision-makers expect to pay more attention to chain security and over half (51%) are worried they cannot verify if a PC, laptop or printer has not been tampered with during transit.
HP Wolf Security is advising customers to take the following steps:
- Adopt Platform Certificate technology, designed to enable verification of hardware and firmware integrity upon device delivery.
- Securely manage firmware configuration of devices, using HP Sure Admin (for PCs) or HP Security Manager (Support), which use public-key cryptography and enable admins to manage firmware remotely, eliminating the use of less secure password-based methods.
- Take advantage of vendor factory services to enable hardware and firmware security configurations right from the factory, such as HP Tamper Lock, Sure Admin, or Sure Recover.
- Monitor ongoing compliance of device hardware and firmware configuration across your fleet.
For more information on HP hardware and devices, and HP Wolf Security, use the link below to contact our team.
