HP has introduced HP TPM Guard, the first hardware solution to stop physical attacks on the TPM bus, strengthening security through the world’s first business laptop capable of preventing physical access attacks that circumvent BitLocker drive encryption. HP has also announced improvements to its HP Wolf Security range of PCs and has brought quantum protection to a wider range of HP printers, raising security standards across all its devices.
Close the BitLocker security breach with HP TPM Guard
Personal computers are at the heart of modern hybrid work, storing large amounts of sensitive information, making security critical, from confidential documents and credentials to customer and employee data. With the rise of artificial intelligence applications that process voice, video and screenshots, the volume of sensitive data is only increasing, also increasing security demands.
BitLocker has been widely used by businesses to protect this data if computers are lost or stolen, but vulnerabilities discovered in recent years have exposed limitations in security, allowing an attacker with physical access to a device to bypass BitLocker and extract the data. Commonly known as “TPM bus attacks,” this technique directly compromises security by intercepting communication between the certified Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and the CPU, and can be accomplished in less than a minute, for as little as $20 in hardware, and with minimal training.
HP TPM Guard protects against this threat by introducing an encrypted link between the TPM and the CPU, strengthening system security by preventing eavesdropping attacks and device scanning. The TPM is cryptographically linked to the device, rendering it unusable if it is removed or tampered with, thus closing this industry-wide security gap, without adding complexity for IT teams and maintaining high levels of operational security.
“Computers now store large amounts of sensitive information, and new AI multimedia applications are overloading computer workloads and pushing them to the limit. While BitLocker was once relied upon to protect data, today an attacker with just a couple of hours of training and a $20 hardware kit can bypass that protection,” said Dr. Ian Pratt, Vice President of Security and Technical Director of Business Systems, HP Personal Systems, underscoring the importance of strengthening security.
“We have developed a hardware and firmware solution, in close collaboration with our chip manufacturing partners, that prevents all these types of threats, offering the strongest security protection that customers have been requesting,” continues Dr. Ian Pratt. “This solves a problem that affects the entire sector and will be strategic for all companies, especially those in regulated sectors, public administration and other organizations that manage highly sensitive information on their computers and need to guarantee maximum security.”
HP TPM Guard is the latest in a long line of security innovations from the HP Security Lab over the past 20 years. HP proactively identifies emerging threats, creates solutions for HP products, and collaborates with industry organizations to raise the security level of the entire IT ecosystem. With this in mind, HP has already submitted a proposal to the Trusted Computing Group to provide TPM Guard technology as an industry standard in security.
New features of HP Wolf Security
HP is also strengthening security across its range of commercial PCs with the announcement of new HP Wolf Security capabilities. These focus on increasing synergy between Workforce Experience Platform (WXP), HP Wolf Security and enterprise architecture to reduce operational expenses and cyber risk, improving overall security. These new features include:
• Integration of Wolf Controller and WXP to improve security, reduce risk and operational friction
• Next-generation Wolf Connect mobile/SIM card for greater control and security with lower power consumption
• Greater compatibility with the Sure Recover platform at a lower cost without compromising security
• Centralized collection of security logs in Wolf Controller
Quantum resistance: the future of printing security
Experts predict that the probability of a quantum computer cracking today’s asymmetric cryptography is up to 34% in 2034, making it even more urgent to strengthen security with protections resistant to quantum attacks. As printers are increasingly targeted as entry points into networks, HP is expanding quantum-resistant cryptography to a broader range of devices to ensure security:
HP TPM Guard protects by introducing an encrypted link between the TPM and the CPU, strengthening system security
• New HP LaserJet Pro 4000/4100 series: The world’s first SMB printers with quantum-resistant protectioniv along with toner chips, firmware and tamper-proof packaging, elevating device security. HP Workforce Experience Platform and HP Security Manager (optional) also enable streamlined security compliance and fleet-wide device management under one umbrella.
• New HP LaserJet Enterprise 5000/6000 series: The world’s first business printers to ship from the factory with protection against quantum computer-based attacks, strengthening security and reducing the risk of exposure. The series also features HP Wolf Enterprise to automatically detect, isolate and recover from cyber attacks, further elevating security, and are the only printers with zero-day threat detection and recovery during in-memory code execution.
The HP LaserJet Enterprise 5000/6000 Series will also feature Automated Protection, which detects and removes sensitive information such as personal data or financial details, strengthening security and helping organizations meet compliance requirements without adding additional review steps for IT.
