HP has been active in the field of cybersecurity for years, and has early on focused on an underexposed aspect: the vulnerability of endpoints. Van Beneden: 'Our starting point was that the end user is most vulnerable via the endpoints. Think of printers, laptops, and cameras. Our goal was to make these devices as secure as possible with our HP Wolf Security program. If a printer were to be hacked unexpectedly, the damage would be limited to that one device instead of spreading like wildfire throughout the entire company.'
This foresight and focus on endpoint security has paid off, although it initially met with resistance. 'At first, people found it annoying that they had to perform updates constantly and deal with chips and security systems. They felt that threat somewhat, but not ├®cht.' The awareness has now set in. 'Cybercrime has become a robust industry. Companies and organizations are down for weeks after a cyber attack. Our threat analysis report shows every quarter that the user with the endpoints remains a risky link.'
Thanks to early investments in hardware security, HP is now in a strong position. Endpoint security is therefore not an afterthought, but part of the design of PCs and printers. 'Our PCs and printers have the capabilities with Wolf Security to isolate attacks and, in many cases, remedy them before the problem escalates, without loss of productivity.'
Constant threat and the importance of endpoint security
And that HP is in a strong position is noticeable. HP closely follows trends and knows the dangers like no other: 'Cyber attacks are no longer an incident, but a constant threat. Our latest HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report shows that 61% of attacks start via email, often invisible to traditional filters.' Van Beneden reiterates how important endpoint security is in this case: 'That hardware-based protection, that endpoint security, is simply indispensable and is still often insufficiently included in the IT strategy of companies.'
HP backs up its words when it comes to this: 'Our hardware has solutions such as HP Sure Click Enterprise, HP Sure Recover and HP Protect & Trace to prevent a single wrong click from becoming a business risk. For executives, this means: less downtime, lower compliance risks, and a foundation for continuity.'
Do you want to know which attack techniques are currently the most common? Check here the SANS top 5 cyber attack techniques of last year (2025).
From insight to action
HP's strategy focuses not only on physical security but also on monitoring and proactive support. The Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) that HP recently introduced is a good example of this. This platform provides AI-driven insights that help continuously improve both the use and operation and security of devices.
Van Beneden explains: 'Especially medium and large companies will benefit from WXP with good insights into the use, operation, and security of the devices. Additionally, it provides insights into employee satisfaction regarding technology through surveys and insights.'
This refers to the real-time monitoring of device health and compliance. WXP sends alerts for deviations and helps automate patching and updates. The Experience thus focuses on the performance and 'health' of your technology and captures how it is used. Important for security ÔÇô and within that whole for endpoint security ÔÇô because possible breaches can be traced quickly.
The WXP also measures the user experience: 'Where technology is an important part of employee satisfaction, these are also reports that are interesting for management and even HR,' says Van Beneden. According to HP, technology thus deserves a strategic place at the executive table. 'If hybrid work and AI offer the biggest opportunities for companies, then technology must play a role in that. We help CIOs and IT managers to take on that role.'
'In the Future of Work, hybrid work is an important foundation for most organizations'
Hybrid work the norm
Speaking of hybrid work - HP is of course giving this enough attention as well. With laptops, the company has long been responding to this trend - as they do in many other areas, as we have seen - but Koen Van Beneden also sees that this will become even more important in the future: 'In the Future of Work, hybrid work is an important foundation for most organizations.'
With the ONE-HP portfolio, HP aims to provide a comprehensive solution for today's hybrid office spaces. They do this with poly-audio and -video solutions, but also by optimizing their AI PCs for even better image and sound. And of course, mobility and connectivity must never lead to security risks: 'That is why endpoint security and security are so extremely important,' Koen emphasizes once again with a smile.
Here it becomes clear once again how important security is for the company: 'Our HP Wolf Security portfolio, our security services; we will always continue to invest in that. For today, but also in light of AI and future developments in, for example, quantum computing.' Here too, Van Beneden shows that HP is already looking to the future.
The safety of AI
But we are not there yet; AI also raises a lot of security questions; privacy issues, data storage, but also on a sustainability level there are many voices. Van Beneden sees that AI is changing the playing field: 'Privacy, data sovereignty, and sustainability are not conditions, but strategic pillars.'
Research shows that the majority of employees now use AI, but that this often happens on their own; without safety barriers, therefore. 'HP sees a clear trend: organizations want to utilize AI without always sending all sensitive data to public clouds. That is why we often help customers with a hybrid approach, where local AI solutions and company-specific AI applications run not in the cloud, but on-premise,' Van Beneden tells us.
Local AI seems to be the solution: 'Companies do not want to share all data in the cloud. That is why we are developing AI tools that you can use on your own computer. This way, your data remains local ├®n your ecological footprint is much smaller,' Van Beneden adds.
HP combines AI hardware (NPUs) with its own HP AI Companion software: 'You upload, for example, some PDFs into the program and can then ask the AI Companion questions about these documents, without a single letter being sent to the cloud.'
Additionally, there are HP WorkStations: 'They also provide the performance and reliability in this regard. This has advantages for both data protection, latency, and costs. Cloud and on-premise coexist, but for sectors with critical data, local processing is essential to ensure competitive advantage and compliance.'
Koen emphasizes the trust he has once again: 'Our PCs and printers have the capabilities with Wolf Security to isolate attacks and, in many cases, remedy them before the problem escalates, without loss of productivity.'
'Technology is not only a necessary tool but a strategic driver for continuity and trust.'
Legislation
Cybersecurity is not only on the agenda at HP; nationally and at the European level, more and more laws are emerging in the field of privacy and AI. This brings a lot of complexity, Van Beneden states: 'With legislation such as NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act, technology is not only a necessary tool but a strategic driver for continuity and trust.' Endpoint security helps organizations maintain demonstrable control over visibility and compliance at the device level, supported by patching and update management.
He sees the challenges recurring in organizations: 'I ask customers daily how they view this and how we can support them. Our WXP has modules that address this, with real-time visibility, compliance, and risk management. This way, security is not a separate obligation, but an integrated process that keeps companies agile and compliant in an increasingly regulated digital world.'
'Old-fashioned' security
We couldn't resist after all this discussion about software, the cloud, and AI: what if your laptop is 'just' stolen? That is still the daily reality for many people. Van Beneden laughs: 'Even in the case of theft, data remains protected: HP laptops offer hardware security such as TPM encryption, BIOS protection, and we offer HP Protect & Trace so that we can remotely locate, lock, and wipe stolen devices.'
'Your laptop does not become a data leak'
The data remains well protected, even when you cannot physically control anything: 'A lost laptop does not become a data leak in our view. Not even if the laptop does not connect to a network. Moreover, HP ensures the integrity of the product throughout its entire lifecycle, from factory to recycling, through built-in security chips and supply chain verification.' This way, HP keeps the complete picture secure.
About Koen Van Beneden
Koen Van Beneden is vice president and managing director of HP Benelux, where he leads the integrated operations in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
