HP Inc (NYSE: HPQ) has announced the launch of HP Wolf Connect, an IT management solution that enables IT teams to manage remote PCs even when powered down or offline.
The solution uses a cellular-based network to provide a highly resilient and secure connection to remote PCs, ensuring efficient management of dispersed workforces. With HP Wolf Connect, IT teams can reduce the time and effort needed to resolve support tickets, secure data from loss or theft, and optimise asset management.
The software service, Wolf Protect and Trace with Wolf Connect, is capable of locating, locking and erasing a PC remotely, even when it’s turned off or disconnected from the Internet. This capability helps protect sensitive data on the move and reduces the need for PC remediation or replacement, thereby lowering IT costs.
According to a global study by HP Wolf Security, 82 per cent of security leaders operating a hybrid work model have gaps in their organisation’s security posture. With hybrid work increasing the risk of lost or stolen devices, IT teams need a better way to deal with the increase in such incidents. The highly resilient mobile connection provided by HP Wolf Connect enables teams to accurately report where and when devices were lost and how long it took to lock or erase them, especially in industries where devices may contain sensitive information.
Global Head of Security for Personal Systems, HP Inc., Dr. Ian Pratt, pointed out that ransomware and other security threats are most likely to originate from endpoints such as laptops, PCs and printers and advised for updating threat detection measures to reflect hybrid employee behavior is challenging, making it harder to spot attacks.
“Application isolation is key, but currently underutilised; hardware-enforced security features needed to protect users without limiting hybrid work flexibility.”
HP Wolf Security’s study found that 84 per cent of security leaders say the endpoint is the source of most security threats and where the most business-damaging security threats happen. With phishing, ransomware, and attacks via unsecured home networks cited as the top risks, the study highlights the need for new cybersecurity strategies and innovative security tools in response to changing employee behaviours.
To close gaps and improve endpoint security, organisations must adopt hardware-enforced security features and protection above, in, and below the OS, such as application isolation. This will be key for protecting users without impinging on the freedoms that hybrid work allows.
HP’s new hybrid security research shows that security teams are prioritising securing the hybrid workplace, with 82 per cent of security leaders increasing their cybersecurity budget specifically for hybrid workers. Additionally, 80 per cent have deployed a different set of tools and policies to protect hybrid employees, and 70 per cent are limiting network access for remote workers to minimise the risk of a breach.
In conclusion, HP Wolf Connect is an innovative solution that expands the boundaries for remote PC management, ensuring efficient and effective management of dispersed workforces. With HP’s new hybrid security research showing that securing the hybrid workplace is a top priority for organisations in 2023, the launch of HP Wolf Connect couldn’t have come at a better time.
