HP Inc. has released the results of a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting, shedding light on the growing need for always-on endpoint management to accommodate the increasingly dispersed global workforce.
According to the study, 72% of the companies surveyed have adopted a hybrid working model, with 75% of respondents acknowledging that the shift to remote and hybrid work has exacerbated IT operational challenges.
The survey, which included 312 IT and security decision-makers, highlighted the struggle companies face in balancing asset management, ensuring user experience, and managing risks.
Key findings from the study, titled "Mastering Endpoint Security In A Hybrid World," include:
The top challenges for managing remote endpoints include data security (60%), keeping software on remote devices up to date (55%), and maintaining accurate asset databases (55%).
Shockingly, only 42% of companies perform firmware updates annually, while 23% update every two years or less, and 12% only update "when essential," which exposes them to security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues.
Two-thirds (67%) of respondents express major concerns about ensuring secure and continuous communication with remote endpoints.
Inadequate endpoint security solutions are cited by 50% as an obstacle to addressing security and management challenges. Moreover, 54% believe full-disk encryption provides substantial endpoint protection but acknowledge its limitations, particularly if the attacker gains physical access to the device.
Dr. Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems at HP Inc., stressed the need for an always-on endpoint management infrastructure to support the evolving workplace: "To offer secure, efficient, and user-friendly IT experiences in the future, companies will need an always-on endpoint management infrastructure that can support this new way of working."
The study also revealed that 75% of respondents believe improved endpoint management would positively impact overall business operations and efficiency. Respondents expressed a need for more efficient endpoint software tracking and management, with desires for device backup and restore capabilities (55%), automation of device recovery processes (47%), BIOS update deployment (46%), and device location tracking (46%).
To enhance remote endpoint security and management, 82% of respondents are considering investing in solutions that offer remote PC geolocation, locking, and erasing capabilities.
The report emphasized the importance of continuous endpoint monitoring and real-time device management in securing sensitive data on the move and reducing IT costs associated with PC remediation or replacements. HP's upcoming solutions, such as HP Wolf Protect and Trace with HP Wolf Connect, aim to provide these capabilities, allowing remote PC location, locking, and erasing even when the device is turned off or disconnected from the internet. ###