HP Wolf Security is Here to Help
Could your printer be the weakest link in your security strategy? The HP Wolf Security solution brief shows how Original HP cartridges, device-level protections, and managed services combine into one layered, end-to-end defense against cyber threats, counterfeit supplies, and supply chain risks. Download and read the solution brief to see how each layer strengthens your protection.
How do HP printer cartridges help protect our print environment?
Original HP printer cartridges are designed as an active part of your security posture, not just as consumables.
Key ways they help protect your environment:
- Tamper-resistant firmware on the chip: Only Original HP office-class cartridges contain a chip with HP proprietary firmware that is designed for security and is tamper-resistant after production. Third parties cannot modify this firmware once it leaves HP.
- Secure smart card technology: HP office printer cartridges introduced since 2015 use secure smart card technology. This enables a secure transaction between the printer and the cartridge, helping ensure the device is talking to a trusted supply.
- Defense against untrusted chips: Non-HP supplies may use chips of unknown origin and general-purpose microcontrollers that can be reprogrammed. Because there is a data interface between the chip and the printer, an attacker with the right skills could potentially exploit that interface. HP’s secure chip design is intended to reduce this risk.
- Dynamic supplies security: HP printers use dynamic authentication strategies to help identify and block counterfeit or non-HP cartridges. Firmware updates can also update this dynamic security to respond to new threats.
In practice, this means your cartridges are part of a layered, defense-in-depth approach that helps protect your printers from being used as an entry point for malicious code.
What makes HP’s print security approach different?
HP’s approach is to treat printing as a full security stack—supplies, devices, and services—rather than as isolated hardware.
1. Device-embedded security in printers
- HP Enterprise-class printers with HP FutureSmart firmware provide integrity checking down to the BIOS.
- HP Sure Start: Checks the printer’s BIOS and operating code and reboots to a safe state if it detects compromise.
- Whitelisting: Validates that critical firmware is authentic before it runs.
- Run-time intrusion detection: Continuously monitors memory to detect attacks while the device is operating.
- HP Connection Inspector: Evaluates network connections to help stop malware before it spreads.
- Self-healing behavior: If an attack is detected, the device can reboot to a last known-good state or a security mode, in line with NIST SP 800-193 cyber resiliency guidelines.
HP Pro-class printers also include built-in protections such as secure boot, unique pre-set passwords, write-protected memory, and automatic firmware updates with code-signing validation.
2. Secure supply chain and packaging
- Original HP Cartridges are ISO/IEC 20243-certified for product integrity, which focuses on trusted technology providers.
- HP chips are manufactured in EAL5-certified facilities or facilities where products have achieved EAL5 certification.
- Digital tracking is used throughout the HP supply chain, from chip creation to packaging and distribution.
- Tamper-evident packaging includes specialized construction, glues, security labels, and in some regions, additional tamper-evident tear-strip labels.
3. Security services to manage risk and compliance
- HP Secure Managed Print Services: Remote device management, access to the latest protections, and advanced strategies for risk management and compliance.
- HP Managed Print Cloud Services: Remote management of the entire print ecosystem.
- HP Print Security Advisory Services: Support for print security strategy, governance, and compliance.
Together, these elements help you reimagine print as a managed, monitored, and resilient part of your security architecture, rather than a blind spot on the network.
What security assessment tools and services are available for our printers?
HP provides several assessment tools and services to help you evaluate and improve print security, whether you are a small business or a larger enterprise.
Assessment tools via HP Channel Partners
- Quick Assess: Scans up to 50 HP network printers/MFPs against 15 common security settings. It then reports on the level of risk within your print environment, giving you a clear baseline.
- SMB Questionnaire: Looks beyond the devices to assess your organization’s overall print security—from your broader security ecosystem to purchasing requirements and policy management.
Security services available directly from HP
- HP Secure Managed Print Services: Ongoing remote device management, access to the latest protections, and support for risk management and compliance.
- HP Managed Print Cloud Services: Centralized, remote management of your print ecosystem through the cloud.
- HP Print Security Advisory Services: Consulting to help you define or refine your print security strategy, and align it with governance and compliance requirements.
These tools and services are designed to help you rethink print as part of your broader security program, moving from ad hoc controls to a more structured, policy-driven approach.
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