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HP unveils new security features for commercial PCs

New security features, such as HP Sure Start, will be available in HP's upcoming EliteBook line and other HP devices. (Source: HP)
New security features, such as HP Sure Start, will be available in HP's upcoming EliteBook line and other HP devices. (Source: HP)
The new features are aimed to deter intrusions by protecting multiple layers of notebooks and PCs.

As hackers and cyber criminals employ more complex attacks, computer security and data protection become more and more difficult. HP hopes to tackle these problems in the commercial PC space with the implementation of several new security measures in their upcoming EliteBook and EliteDisplay lines of PCs.

HP Sure Start protects PCs at their root by securing the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). Think of the BIOS as the subconscious of the PC; it tells the computer what to start, what hardware to engage, and initiates the operating system (e.g., Windows or Mac OS X). The BIOS is a favorite target for sophisticated hackers as they can control root functions of the computer and all hardware through control and configuration of the BIOS. HP’s Sure Start Gen3 is crafted to detect unauthorized changes in the BIOS and restore data and settings to a preset configuration that is stored on a separate chip. According to a press release from HP,

“If the BIOS is tampered with, Sure Start Gen3 will not only restore it, but also recover any custom setting and policies handed down by IT. In this way, Sure Start Gen3 makes Windows 10 even more secure for the enterprise.”

HP Multi-Factor Authentication adds support for multiple authentication methods to the core functionality of a device. Multi-Factor Authentication combines intellectual authenticators, such as passwords or PINs, with physical and biometric tools, such as key fobs or fingerprints. This service “exponentially increases the difficulty of hacking because it takes advantage of a combination of credentials.”

Another area of security HP has addressed is physical display technology. HP’s Sure View technology “reduces 95 percent of visible light when the screen is viewed from an angle, so only the person working in front of the screen can view the display.” This tech is available in “the current EliteBook 840 G3, EliteBook 1040 G3, and EliteBook 840 G4.” HP’s EliteDisplay S340C will also feature a webcam “that can pop up or flip down into the bezel, allowing it to be hidden when not in use.”

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Sam Medley, 2016-12-14 (Update: 2016-12-14)