Since more people are working, banking, shopping, and learning from home, there has been an increase in digital data storage and use. Digital transformation is a trend that has become a necessity for businesses in every field, resulting in more sensitive data being stored on laptops and mobile devices. Businesses, services, institutions, and individuals without effective structures in place to secure their digital operations are lucrative prey for hackers and thieves. The need for robust hardware protection is quickly becoming more apparent as cyber attacks and device thefts increase.
This study by Forrester provides a comprehensive look into the evolving methods and consequences of endpoint security threats and the need for effective hardware security.
Key takeaways from the study:
- Many security measures businesses currently have in place are not sufficient to deal with BIOS attacks. Within the 12 months before the study was released, vulnerabilities in hardware- or silicon-level security led to 63% of companies experiencing a data breach or compromise. Only 28% of interviewed organizations said they were satisfied with their hardware security vendor.
- Hardware-level attacks are increasingly complex and numerous. Because hardware attacks can take many different forms, it can be difficult to find a security solution that accounts for all possibilities. BIOS attacks are successful – and prominent – due to a lack of proper security measures.
Business owners and IT professionals must evaluate how well equipped they are to deal with hardware-level security threats. The numbers show that most businesses are aware of the problem, and they know how potentially harmful it is for their business. Having structures and policies built into business operations is important, but often not sufficient to counter new and complex security attacks.
The Forrester study suggests hardware security vendors are key to reducing threats. Security practices at the hardware and BIOS level are still evolving to keep up with new threats, so having a comprehensive and up-to-date hardware security system is crucial to respond to threats and prevent data breaches. Investing in stronger security measures can also reduce hardware expenses, enhance business continuity, and expedite the digital transformation process.
Other important security measures to employ:
Supply chain validation ensures that the hardware in your devices comes from trusted sources that have risk mitigation built into their manufacturing process.
A hardware security module (HSM) is an external device that uses cryptoprocessors to encrypt hardware and safely manage digital keys.
The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a physical security feature built into most new PCs. It provides tamper-resistant hardware encryption and blocks access to a hard drive when someone attempts to use it on an unfamiliar machine.
Remote management of devices and data is critical. In the event that a device is lost or stolen, or its hardware is compromised, a company must have the option to locate and lock the device, encrypt the hard drive, and wipe the device to prevent a data breach. Contact us at 877-519-0010 to find out how DriveStrike can enable your company to secure and manage your devices and data. Sign up for a free trial to start your protection today.