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Update your firmware
2
Encrypt your hard drive
3
Use a strong password
4
Enable a firewall
5
Avoid phishing and malware
6
Dispose of your hardware properly
7
Here’s what else to consider
Hardware security risks are threats that exploit the physical components of your computer, such as the motherboard, the hard drive, the keyboard, or the USB ports. These risks can compromise your data, your privacy, and your system performance. In this article, you will learn how to avoid hardware security risks by following some simple tips and best practices.
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- Sharad Chandra Information Security Manager at Millennium Management
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- Kumar Ashok Lead Admin at Allied Market Research
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1 Update your firmware
Firmware is the software that controls the basic functions of your hardware devices. Firmware updates can fix bugs, improve security, and enhance performance. You should check regularly for firmware updates from the official sources of your hardware manufacturers and install them as soon as possible. Do not download firmware updates from unknown or suspicious websites, as they may contain malware or viruses.
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- Kumar Ashok Lead Admin at Allied Market Research
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If we are truly committed to hardware protection. So first, you need to install any trusted antivirus on the hardware. Then following the steps below.We need to avoid downloading firmware updates and any software related to your hardware, such as computer, mobile, etc. from unknown sources.It is necessary to obtain any software from the official website of your hardware manufacturers.
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- Prasad Reddy Reddum IT Operations Manager
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Timely Firmware & BIOS updates and blocking of External devices access like USB Drives, External HDD would help 50% . Rest should be covered with OEM and User awareness on the latest viruses or malwares that could get through the use of hardware.
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- Jonathan Tan Azure | AWS | GCP | Cyber Security | IT Operations | Agile
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Update drivers and update OS as well. Vulnerabilities are introduced daily. The best way to address this is to check on such updates on a daily basis. Only get updates from official manufacturer website. Make sure drivers are signed too.
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- Bijoy Chakraborty IT manager
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Physical securitySecure all devices with locks or other tamper-proof devices. Limit access to hardware to authorized personnel only. Use security cameras and other monitoring devices to deter and detect tampering or theft.Strong passwordsImplement strong passwords along with robust authentication systems.Hardware security modules (HSM)These devices generate and help manage cryptographic keys for the authentication and encryption of enterprise systems.Hardware-level protectionStore sensitive data such as passwords, certificates, or encryption on a physical chip separate from the hardware software. This prevents access to sensitive data and staves off hackers and software-based attacks.
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- saeid moradi Python Developer - Back-end Developer
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Hardware security involves protection through physical devices or physical operations.Hardware security is a device that scans employee endpoints or monitors network traffic, such as a hardware firewall or proxy server.We can use hardware security modules (HSMs) - devices that generate and help manage cryptographic keys to authenticate and encrypt enterprise systems.
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2 Encrypt your hard drive
Encryption is the process of transforming your data into an unreadable format that can only be accessed with a key or a password. Encryption can protect your data from unauthorized access, theft, or loss. You can encrypt your hard drive using built-in tools such as BitLocker for Windows or FileVault for Mac, or third-party software such as VeraCrypt or DiskCryptor. You should also encrypt your external hard drives and USB flash drives, especially if you store sensitive or personal information on them.
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We use BitLocker security for all internal hard drives, and set a policy in our AV that only allows copying of data from HDD to USB if the USB drive itself also has BitLocker encryption enabled (and allows users to encrypt at that point).
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- Mark Antonio Mable Cybersecurity Risk Management and Compliance
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There are built in encryption for hardwares now adays. like TPM. Should also consider selecting what works best for your needs. Remember encryption also takes performance, longer encryption and heavy cryptography takes resources as well.
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3 Use a strong password
A password is the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your computer. A strong password is one that is long, complex, and unique. It should contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. It should not be based on common words, names, dates, or phrases. You should also avoid using the same password for multiple accounts or devices. You can use a password manager to create and store strong passwords for you.
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- GERVASE KAMEKA Technology Professional For Humans 😉
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In my experience passphrases are awesome replacements for passwords as passphrases can include special characters, spaces etc. and because they are phrases they help the user to flow when typing them and they also make passwords multiples of times less subjected to brute force attacks or guesses. Use a RECOMMENDED, SECURE online password checker to test your password or passphrase. It's a good idea to not test the EXACT password you will use but something close to see how long it could possibly take to break it based on the password checker's calculations. Another great idea is to append descriptive letters to passwords for different websites instead of using the same password for EVERY site. And swap letters with special characters.
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- Arjun BM Head of Security at Tesco | CXO Cyber Icon 2024
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Along with having strong password management policies and controls, it is also important to implement multi-factor authentication if feasible. This will greatly reduce risks occurring due to shared password, stolen passwords via phishing, passwords exposed in data breaches on darkweb, etc
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4 Enable a firewall
A firewall is a software or hardware device that monitors and filters the incoming and outgoing network traffic on your computer. A firewall can prevent hackers, malware, or unauthorized programs from accessing or modifying your data or system settings. You should enable a firewall on your computer and configure it according to your needs and preferences. You can use the built-in firewall of your operating system or a third-party firewall software such as ZoneAlarm or Comodo.
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- Garrett C. Server Cloud Engineer
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🛡️ Think of a firewall as your network and computer's security guard, always vigilant against cyber threats. Did you know 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses? Whether it's the built-in defense system of your computer or third-party software like ZoneAlarm, it's vital to turn on and tailor your firewall. If you haven't done so yet, now's the time! Protect your data and peace of mind. You can even combine a firewall solution from Comodo with their amazing DNS protection to help protect you even further.🔒
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5 Avoid phishing and malware
Phishing and malware are common methods of attacking your computer through malicious emails, websites, or attachments. Phishing is when someone tries to trick you into revealing your personal or financial information by pretending to be a legitimate entity. Malware is when someone tries to infect your computer with harmful software that can damage, delete, or steal your data or system resources. You should avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown or suspicious senders, and scan your computer regularly with an antivirus software such as Avast or Malwarebytes.
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By utilizing an end point detection and prevention tool, organizations can reduce the likelihood of malicious software infecting the system or organizational systems. There are two main types of malware tools: signature-based and next-generation (Machine learning and deep learning). Signature based EDR requires that they console receive the most up to date signatures as quickly as possible, so it is important that the connection is tightly monitored. Some types of malware and slip passed this older-generation of endpoint detection and prevention. Deep learning/ML based protection looks at the behavior of the file and looks to see if it is performing anything that looks suspicious. These types have much lower false positive rates.
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- GERVASE KAMEKA Technology Professional For Humans 😉
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Check email headings and compare the names to the email addresses. If in doubt compare the email body or email address to another legitimate email you received from the same address or domain. Ensure the email domain is correct based on what you know to be true, if uncertain - contact the sender if you can and confirm and compare the domain name. READ the actual email - if it appears too good to be true - it might just be - investigate further. Avoid clicking links for example in bank/security emails. Instead try to go to the site in a separate browser or tab and check if the information in the email matches what is happening in your account or contact the institution and verify if the email is legit. Question outcomes BEFORE not after.
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- Mark Antonio Mable Cybersecurity Risk Management and Compliance
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Boy, this is a very long topic, this definitely needs a wide program in terms of educating end users. It can take awhile to incorporate as a culture of the company when instilling right security mindset but it will have long lasting impact on how secure the company asset can be. We are now moving to an era where we are changing mindset to "zero trust". 100% secure is no longer an accepted term. A vast majority of hacks are still coming from Phishing attacks.
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6 Dispose of your hardware properly
When you decide to get rid of your old or unused hardware devices, you should dispose of them properly to prevent data leakage or environmental damage. You should erase or destroy your data before disposing of your hard drive, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive. You can use a data wiping software such as DBAN or Eraser to overwrite your data multiple times, or a physical method such as shredding, drilling, or smashing to damage your device. You should also recycle your hardware devices according to the local regulations or the manufacturer's guidelines.
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It is important to replace hardware that is considered 'end of life' by the vendor. This means the vendor no longer supports this particular hardware device. Most likely, there are more vulnerabilities on end of life systems and most vendors do not provide updates to devices that are out of their life cycle. It is important to budget and plan appropriately for the upgrade of a newer supported hardware device to ensure most up to date security settings and patches.
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7 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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- Sharad Chandra Information Security Manager at Millennium Management
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For Enterprises: 1. Add External tag to emails originating outside your organisation2. Limit the number of admin accounts and regularly audit admin groups - implement elevated shell - think Powerbroker3. Disable usb's by default and only enable approved ones by adding in GUID4. Monthly phishing simulation training, clicker will go thur phishing refreshers training - no exception or can also try name and shame
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- Rahul Vaghela, PMP® Creative Mind | Project Management | Airport Security Automation | Loss Prevention | Internal Auditor
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- Implement two factor authentication (2FA).- Disable unnecessary features and services.- Always lock your screen when you're going far from your system.
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- Mark Antonio Mable Cybersecurity Risk Management and Compliance
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I'd say leave it to the experts and when they speak have the courage to listen and accepts the idea you are not 100% secure. Security is everyone responsibility.
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- Jonathan Tan Azure | AWS | GCP | Cyber Security | IT Operations | Agile
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Utilise Kensington locks on mobility devices for unattended situation. Do an quarterly/annually inventory audit for hardware accountability.May seem alot of work. But this has been by far the easiest to overlook. When auditors do audits, its always the backend team losing out.
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- Liam Johnson 1 Month Rolling Business IT Agreements – Flexibility to Change Monthly, Not Yearly!
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Staff training! You can have the best security systems in the world, multiple layers of security, however if end users admit access, clink on links in emails and are not aware they are being scammed, your security systems are as useful as a chocolate teapot. Yes we need security devices to protect from the outside, but staff training protects from the inside! (My opinion)
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