The U.S. cyberthreat landscape shows no signs of calming down. According to research by Microsoft, the U.S .was the most targeted country in the world in 2025, accounting for nearly a quarter of all cyberattacks.
Now artificial intelligence (AI) is turbocharging cyberthreats by enabling attackers to automate, personalize, and scale attacks at speed, while making phishing, malware, and ransomware faster, more convincing, and harder to detect. Research from BCG found that 60% of companies may have faced AI-enabled attacks in the past year.
Although IT teams are well practiced at managing networks, data, and applications, many are still adjusting to a world where hybrid working is increasingly the norm. Employees are now often outside the secure enterprise perimeter, making user endpoints more vulnerable than ever.
Locking down endpoints should be seen as a key priority for organizations of all sizes. Here are five steps businesses can take to do just that:
1. Invest in the right hardware foundation
Organizations should invest in AI PCs for a foundation of hardware-level security. Devices powered by AMD Ryzen™ PRO processors, for example, are designed with built-in protections that help secure endpoints, such as AMD Memory Guard for full memory encryption, AMD Shadow Stack for protection against control-flow attacks, and support for the Microsoft Pluton security processor on select platforms. These processors strengthen devices and give users data and applications protection from endpoint to cloud.
2. Control identity and access
Organizations should invest in the strongest-possible identity controls, such as multifactor authentication and biometric verification, to confirm users and block unauthorized access to devices. Solutions such as HP Sure Access Enterprise can add an extra layer of defense by delivering secure, isolated remote sessions for critical applications. These protected sessions ensure that even if an endpoint is compromised, administrative access, credentials, and sensitive data remain protected.
3. Control and verify endpoint integrity
Protecting the integrity of endpoint devices is essential to maintaining trust throughout the technology supply chain. Security must be enforced from the moment a device is manufactured and right across its entire life cycle. IT teams can use technologies such as HP’s enterprise security chip to meet these requirements. The chip performs continuous validation of firmware and BIOS at every startup, detects tampering below the operating system level, verifies the integrity of removable components, and enables rapid recovery if an attack is detected.
4. Protect data on lost or stolen devices
Laptops’ being left unattended in offices, hotels, or public locations increases the risk of loss or theft. Many traditional remote security tools depend on the device’s being powered on and connected to the internet, but this can’t always be relied on. HP addresses this gap by integrating a cellular connection during manufacturing, enabling IT teams to locate devices, lock them, or remotely erase data even when the device is turned off. This ensures that sensitive business information remains protected if a device is lost or stolen.
5. Protect against zero-day attacks
Traditional antivirus solutions rely on known threat signatures, leaving gaps when hundreds of thousands of new, AI-fueled attacks emerge every day. Tools such as HP Sure Click Enterprise can help address this challenge with a preventive security model that automatically opens every link, document, and browser session inside a secure microvirtual container. This containment approach ensures that even if content is malicious, it is fully isolated and unable to compromise the device, spread across the corporate network, or access sensitive data.
The cyberthreat landscape is growing in sophistication, but so too are endpoints and their associated security capabilities. IT leaders who invest in AI PCs that deliver hardware-enforced, multilayer protection can lock out hackers while enabling next-level productivity. That is where the future lies.
Learn more about how HP and AMD can help protect your business.