IT decision makers are blindly trusting suppliers and wasting tech, research shows

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Many IT leaders have to just believe vendors on security claims, report claims
However security remains a top priority for leaders
Not being able to properly clean devices is leading to waste

New research from HP Wolf Security has revealed many IT decision makers (ITDMs) feel at the mercy of vendors, with 45% admitting they don’t have the means to validate firmware and hardware security claims, so must trust supplier’s claims without question.

The study looks into the attitudes of ITDMs in regards to firmware and hardware, and the implications for cybersecurity concerns. The research shows that platform security is increasingly concerning leaders, with 81% of ITDMs agreeing hardware security must be a priority going forward in order to protect devices from exploitation.

Over half of ITDMs (52%) say they rarely collaborate with security and IT professionals to verify the claims of suppliers, and 48% say their procurement teams are like ‘lambs to the slaughter’, as they must believe vendors' security claims.

An E-waste epidemic

Security was found to be a significant concern for all respondents, which is perhaps no surprise, since more businesses are being hit with security threats than ever, but data security worries are also spurring an ‘e-waste epidemic’, 60% of leaders admit.

Almost a third (68%) say they have a ‘significant number of devices’ which could be donated or repurposed if they could sanitize them, but 59% admit it is too hard to give devices a second life, as data security concerns prevent them from reuse, with many devices destroyed.

“IT teams are hoarding end-of-life devices because they lack the assurance that all sensitive company or personal data has been fully wiped - which in itself can pose data security risks and negatively impact ESG goals.” said Grant Hoffman, SVP Operations and Portfolio, HP Solutions.

“Finding a reputable IT asset disposition vendor that uses the latest industry-standard erasure or media-destruction processes and provides a data sanitization certificate so you can meet compliance requirements, is key.”

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Ellen has been writing for almost four years, with a focus on post-COVID policy whilst studying for BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Cardiff, followed by an MA in Political Communication. Before joining TechRadar Pro as a Junior Writer, she worked for Future Publishing’s MVC content team, working with merchants and retailers to upload content.