The threat landscape for IT operations is rapidly changing. While application and operating system compromises often get the most attention, hardware-based intrusion is becoming more widespread. A successful hardware hack, commandeering critical firmware components, avoids basic malware detection and surrenders unrestricted access to system operations, data, and network communications. Dell has a comprehensive approach to securing the server hardware. UEFI Secure Boot with Customization is a recognized part of the solution for the most secure server environments.

With UEFI, server security is strengthened by more granular inspection of the credentials for every element employed to boot the server. This covers firmware and the OS bootloader - lynchpin boot elements that can be critical targets for cyberattacks.

The addition of customized certificates enables boot security to be more closely managed by your server/security teams while limiting the dependency on publicly distributed certificates. While this approach requires some additional planning and work, it provides higher security for environments that cannot depend on generic safeguards.