We wanted to highlight some news you may have missed from the world of HP print security this quarter. A development that demonstrates HPs continual drive for secure endpoints. HP smashes the competition for printer security; that’s because they leverage their developments in PC security and depth of understanding of attack vectors to provide “the most secure printers in the world”.

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The threat of quantum computers breaking asymmetric cryptography – the algorithms that our digital world relies on – grows every year. Experts think there’s up to a 34% chance of this happening by 2034. This would put encrypted communications at risk, compromise the existing digital signatures used for verifying the integrity of firmware and software, and dissolve digital trust. 

Without quantum resilience, a printer facing a quantum attack at the firmware level would be fully exposed through malicious firmware updates, giving the attacker stealthy, persistent and total control of the device.

This is why HP’s new 8000 Series printers – including the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP 8801, Mono MFP 8601, and LaserJet Pro Mono SFP 8501 printers – are designed with quantum resilience to protect against the quantum attacks of the future, offering: 

• A foundation for quantum resistance: The printers’ new ASIC chips are designed with quantum-resistant cryptography and enable the use of digital signature verification to protect firmware integrity against quantum attacks.
• Enhanced security at the hardware level: Printer manageability and protection is enhanced through the new ASIC chips, which protect early-stage BIOS and BIOS boot firmware integrity, reducing the risk of data breaches.
• Seamless integration with Zero Trust measures: Foundational to HP’s Zero Trust Print Architecture^TM, these printers are designed to integrate seamlessly into existing Zero Trust Network Architectures. This helps organizations to take a unified, fleet-wide approach to their security strategies and protect against current and future threats.

As part of HP’s ongoing commitment to security innovation, this integration exemplifies our dedication to implementing quantum resistant algorithms as a foundational security layer across our PC and printer portfolios. For example, last year HP announced the world’s first PCs with firmware protection against quantum computer attacks. 

To defend against the rising quantum threat, organizations must plan to transition to quantum-resistant cryptography across their IT infrastructure. The US federal government has made a commitment that, starting in 2027, it intends to only procure devices for National Security Systems if their firmware and software are secured with quantum-resistant cryptographic code signing.

Most contractual sales and Managed Print Services (MPS) agreements span three-to-five years. So, organizations will need to incorporate quantum-resistant cryptography in their next print purchasing decision to meet the US government’s 2027 migration timeline, maximize device security, and protect the integrity of their print devices.

More details on this topic, including HP Inc.’s recommendations for organizations, can be found here in our blog on preparing to protect cryptography against quantum computers.