HP’s unique Wolf Security unit provides a significantly higher level of security and safety in HP’s enterprise offerings. It has its own unique BIOS and a number of “Sure” applications that protect users from most of the malware, ransomware, and online phishing attacks currently in circulation. Wolf Security is moving aggressively to adapt and implement AI to counter the coming wave of massive threats anticipated next year based on AI, and its method for wiping the data on an enterprise PC is far more thorough than any of its peers.
However, one part of the solution, which is also unique, fascinates me. It is the implementation of tracking and wiping technology on HP’s enterprise PCs that truly allows it to stand above the pack.
HP’s Pervasive Wireless Connection
Losing a personal device can be frightening. It can result in an exposure that has to be reported to the company’s board because if that info reaches a less-than-ethical competitor, it could destroy a company’s competitive advantage. We’ve certainly seen how much extreme damage a laptop that was inadequately secured can do to a political campaign and party.
What HP has in its enterprise laptops is a component that is similar to what Amazon provided in its initial e-paper Kindles, which is an always-connected WAN. This allows the laptop to be tracked and allows an administrator to remotely lock or even wipe the laptop should it become compromised, even if the laptop isn’t plugged in or wirelessly connected to a network.
This ability to potentially locate and wipe a disconnected laptop can also help when someone simply misplaces the laptop or when one of their kids decides they want to use the laptop without permission. The key benefit is peace of mind and knowing that if your laptop does get misplaced or stolen, there is a good chance it can be security wiped, report back that the wipe was successful, and thus remove the need to report the theft or loss to management, potentially avoiding much of the embarrassment and job risk that a lost laptop would typically entail.
Other Potential Benefits
A pervasive wireless connection can provide other potential benefits. What follows is speculative, but I can see how this connection could be used to keep the user safer and better prepared for a natural or human-caused disaster. For instance, alerts could be sent through this connection, providing a redundant method (smartphones can be left behind and often run out of battery power) to notify the employee of an increasing risk even if no Wi-Fi hotspot is available.
This capability could embrace the new satellite emergency communications efforts like those brought to market by Apple, providing direction and limited connectivity in emergencies when the localized WAN repeaters and Wi-Fi networks are down. If the smartphone or PC is misplaced or lost, the remaining device could be used to locate the device that is lost. Should the smartphone lose power, the laptop could call for help.
Wrapping Up
HP leads the industry with its enterprise PC efforts and Wolf Security. One of the most interesting of HP’s unique solutions is the pervasive wireless connection that its laptops have, which not only provides a higher level of protection for the user and their company but also provides a much more reliable path to recovering lost or stolen mobile hardware.
HP continues to push the envelope regarding securing its devices, which undoubtedly endears it to industries like government, healthcare, banking and trading, intelligence, and security over its less secure peers. With advancements in the AI space, 2024 looks to be a particularly ugly year for viruses and malware. In the desktop space, only HP has spun up a level of security that should mitigate the massive, expected wave of hostile code slated to bury us next year.
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