It’s been a wild ride the past three years, and our team has learned an awful lot about the transformative power of digital technology and the exploitable vulnerability that it introduces. Here are some examples:
- Password authentication is no longer secure.
- Enterprise users and the devices they work on are under siege by threat actors.
- Bolt-on security is no longer a viable approach to securing our digital devices.
- Internal IT must also focus on innovative solutions, not updates and password resets.
A New Approach To Computer Selection
At one time, purchasing a computing device was straightforward. We selected units according to their resource and performance specifications. The laundry list included items such as a minimum processor speed, a given amount of RAM, and an ample amount of internal data storage. Security was added at the very end, via an antivirus software. If the OS happened to include a firewall, that was considered a bonus for some.
But those days are gone...
When companies sent employees home during the COVID outbreak, we found that 20% of all data breaches in 2020 were caused by a remote worker. For example, the compromise of a single device has major consequences because that device, according to a 2020 McKinsey Study, has access to an average of 17 million files. While 100% remote work may be ending its lifecycle by 2023, hybrid work is here to stay. This means your company requires computing devices that are just as secure outside of the corporate perimeter as they are within.
Lenovo: Security by Design
Lenovo realized years ago that the world would eventually desire a security-integrated computing device. So, they set out to design and build a comprehensive fleet of secure endpoint devices for a zero-trust world. They call it “Security by Design” and it is the foundation that Lenovo’s ThinkShield device portfolio is based upon. The premise is simple: A computing device today must be able to secure itself in a zero-trust environment. But while security is of the highest priority, Lenovo made sure that security doesn’t interfere with performance or workflows. After all, a secure device is worthless if it isn’t functional for today’s modernized worker. Below are some ways that Lenovo has melded security, functionality, and manageability into a single form factor.
The Lenovo Trusted Supplier Program
Computers are made up of many components supplied by multiple manufacturers. Therefore, a computing device is only as secure as its supply chain. Lenovo requires all their suppliers to complete a rigorous certification process that includes strict security requirements.
Root of Trust
When a Lenovo ThinkPad boots up, it performs a mandatory security checklist known as the “root of trust.” A central philosophy of zero trust is that the integrity of the system can never be assumed, which is why the ThinkShield platform verifies the integrity of the system every time it powers up. Lenovo firmware is digitally signed and TPM is used to verify the signature. If even a single process deviates from the norm, the boot-up is aborted. It’s just one example of how hardware-integrated security separates itself from bolt-on security that must be added after the device is built.
Frictionless Security
A password is a lottery ticket for a hacker as it gives them access to your company data. What’s more, in a zero-trust world, you must also protect users from keyloggers and shoulder surfing attacks. Lenovo knows how vulnerable passwords are, which is why they offer eight modes of frictionless secure authentication for their ThinkPad users. Examples include fingerprint and facial recognition thanks to integrated fingerprint readers and infra-red cameras. Lenovo gets you out of the lottery business.
Automated Manageability
In an era where cars drive themselves, you should be leading an IT department that houses an endpoint fleet fully capable of updating itself. With the Lenovo Thin Installer, updates are automatically conducted behind the scenes without any involvement from the end user and critical patches can be instantly delivered across an organization.
The Lenovo BIOS can even restore itself automatically to a clean, pre-breach known state in the event of an attack. Because it supports Windows Autopilot, ThinkPads can be deployed with zero-touch provisioning. All of this means less time that your IT talent can spend less time on mundane tasks that deter them from innovative tasks that add greater value.
Lifecycle Management
Lenovo recognizes that a computing device is a mini technology investment that must be judged according to its ROI. That is where lifecycle management is so important to Lenovo. When you consider its high-quality security integrated hardware, its flexible configuration options, allowed customization, and its ease of manageability, you begin to understand how Lenovo ThinkPads remain useful and relevant throughout their product cycle. When they do finally reach end-of-life, Lenovo will even securely dispose of them in an environmentally sensitive matter. If you don’t want Lenovo to wipe and dispose of your data, you can even keep the hard drives and oversee the process yourself.
Final Thoughts
If you look at how the world has changed, you see that Lenovo has transformed their ThinkPad fleet of endpoint devices in anticipation of all that change. The ThinkPad is the secure modern performance device your employees need to work securely and productively in today’s modernized zero-trust world.
