The tech sector has been hit a bit hard lately with concerns such as recession and layoffs impacting it. However, there are key areas of investment that continue to rise. Of them is equipment investment. As experts explain, despite challenges, demand for hardware, software, cloud computing and other technical tools will sustain because they are the components that allow businesses to further their transition into the new era. Needless to say, enterprise equipment is essential. Therefore, so is ensuring its security.
Enterprise Equipment Security Flaws
As we think about enterprise equipment security, one focal area is firmware. If not properly protected, compromised firmware can create large-scale problems for equipment and devices used within networks. In an article for The Hacker News, Ravie Lakshmanan explained that “they can be abused by an adversary to achieve long-term persistence on a device in a manner that can survive reboots and evade traditional operating system-level security protections.”
An example of these types of flaws are the ones that were uncovered in HP’s EliteBook devices. The vulnerabilities affected the System Management Mode (SMM) of the firmware, which is used for functions such as power management and hardware interrupts.
Another worry around equipment security involves advanced persistent threat (APT) actors who are increasingly interested in targeting industrial control systems (ICS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) devices. It is this problem that led the Department of Energy (DoE), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to release a joint advisory in April.
Protecting the Digital Transformation of Enterprise Equipment
Knowledge of such issues isn’t slowing down the adoption of digitized equipment. Nor should it. Integrating technical advances offers unprecedented benefits. What this knowledge should do, though, is remind organization leaders that prioritizing cybersecurity is absolutely necessary.
According to statistics highlighted at IoT For All, 70% of companies have either already implemented a digital transformation strategy or are working on one. But in order for these strategies to be successful at improving enterprise production and processes, there are four aspects that Julia Mitchell and IoT For All says should be included – automation, efficiency, maintenance and, of course, security.
As you evolve current enterprise equipment and adopt new innovations in the space, Dellfer is here to help you master the security part. Visit our “Enterprise Equipment” page to learn more about how our services provide innovative and comprehensive cybersecurity support.
Sources:
- “Why technology spending will rise even as tech stocks tank and layoffs mount” – Tim Mullaney, CNBC
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/07/why-tech-spending-will-rise-even-as-tech-stocks-tank-and-layoffs-mount.html - “High-Severity Firmware Security Flaws Left Unpatched in HP Enterprise Devices” – Ravie Lakshmanan, The Hacker News
https://thehackernews.com/2022/09/high-severity-firmware-security-flaws.html - “CISA Alert on ICS, SCADA Devices Highlights Growing Enterprise IoT Security Risks” – Hollie Hennessy, Dark Reading
https://www.darkreading.com/omdia/cisa-alert-on-ics-scada-devices-highlights-growing-enterprise-iot-security-risks - “Enterprise IoT Solutions for Digital Transformation” – Julia Mitchell, IoT For All
https://www.iotforall.com/enterprise-iot-solutions-for-digital-transformation
