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HP Sure Recover: Revolutionizing Data Recovery and ProtectionHP Sure Recover: Revolutionizing Data Recovery and Protection
Jamie Finch
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March 7, 2024
While the internet has helped transform how we work, it is not without drawbacks. Among the most notable is vulnerability to hackers and other online threats. The potential consequences of data loss can be severe, so it’s a good idea to keep information as safe as possible.
To help keep you safe online, HP has developed HP Sure Recover, an innovative tool that protects data and makes security easier. This leads to the question: What is HP Sure Recover?
Introducing HP Sure Recover
HP Sure Recover is a state-of-the-art security solution that protects your computer from online attacks. After a brief initial set-up, it can be easy to forget the platform is even there until you need it. The tool is found only on compatible HP business PCs.
If your computer is unable to boot into Windows, HP Sure Recover can perform a complete reinstall of your operating system (OS). This benefits the user and IT departments as Sure Recover reduces their workload.
How does HP Sure Recover work?
HP Sure Recover installs an OS image from network or local storage. Available on select HP business PCs, local storage can be a partition on the system drive or an optional dedicated storage device that provides additional resiliency in the event of destructive malware and ransomware. The images contain all you need for a fresh installation of your OS, and both the images and imaging processes can be customized.
One of the key benefits of using images is that they’re a snapshot of your OS in healthy condition. The images contain no malware and HP Sure Recover uses cryptographic validation to ensure they haven’t been tampered with, meaning your fresh install will contain no malware, helping to remove often stubborn viruses. You can also have confidence that HP digitally secures these OS images.
Many smaller businesses use an online OS image provided by HP. However, many larger companies need a customised OS that can be imaged and stored. These images can be hosted in a private cloud for additional security.
Once Sure Recover has finished restoring your machine, it will return to the condition defined by the image. In many cases, Sure Recover will restore your machine to a similar state as when it left the factory, although image content will also usually be updated.
Cannot recover personal files
It should be noted that Sure Recover does not recover personal files; it only restores files for the OS. Using Sure Recover will also remove personal files from your system, so it's best to make a backup first or use an online personal storage service, such as Microsoft OneDrive. Even though Sure Recover can’t retrieve lost files, it can still grant access to your machine to get you up and running again.
Why is Sure Recover important for businesses?
HP Sure Recover is an essential that is beneficial to businesses in numerous ways, including:
Easy to use
Among the most appealing benefits HP Sure Recover offers is ease of use. The security system has been designed so staff without technical knowledge can recover their OS if it doesn’t start. The user will have little input into the process other than following on-screen prompts.
Up until recently, restoring a computer took time and some technical knowledge. As such, it would usually be a job for the IT department, taking up valuable resources. However, Sure Recover takes much of the workload away from IT, significantly boosting productivity.
The platform also makes it easier for IT to maintain the OS on numerous devices. For example, you can schedule updates or periodically re-image all computers in your network, potentially removing malware.
The importance of updates
Updating PCs with new security features is essential for keeping information secure. If your OS is not up to date, then it might lead to vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. It’s important to regularly patch your devices. The default recovery image from HP is periodically updated to include these patches. If you maintain your own custom recovery image, it is important to update it periodically.
Minimise downtime
A potential downside of using technology is breakdowns, which can bring productivity to a halt. Maintenance can also leave tech out of action, as can attempted security breaches.
Regardless of why a computer is down, it would previously have taken a long time to restore it, so it was often left to the professionals. HP Sure Recover helps to offset this downside by minimising downtime thanks to a fast and easy recovery process. IT departments benefit from a lower workload, and individuals benefit by being back in action as quickly as possible.
Proactive data protection
Threats constantly evolve, making it a good idea to get proactive. HP Sure Recover can be used to refresh the operating system on a device for cases where the PC is especially vulnerable to physical attack. This could be a kiosk, a retail point of sale device, a PC at a front desk, or even the PCs in a doctor’s exam rooms. For these vulnerable devices, Sure Recover can be used to schedule a reimage when the devices are not being used – typically overnight.
Similar to the notion of bathing daily, scheduling Sure Recover periodically can be a form of good cyber hygiene. Scheduled recoveries will keep the image on your device fresh and remove any existing malware on the local image in the process.
Reliability
As a separate option only on select HP business PCs, HP Sure Recover with Embedded Reimaging is one of the most reliable forms of system recovery available. The image files you need are already in your device in a protected flash memory, even if you have lost all data from your disks. The method is also quick, potentially preventing embarrassing moments in the field or other locations where you are far from your local IT support. When used with your preferred data recovery solution, you can be back to work in minutes.
Integration with HP security ecosystem
HP Sure Recover is just one element of the HP security ecosystem, with each platform integrating seamlessly. Some of the additional tools include:
HP Wolf Security
HP Wolf Security offers the latest online security software supported by sophisticated hardware. Wolf Security comes in a variety of editions for home users and global enterprises, with several tools that provide the most advanced protection available. HP Sure Recover can optionally install HP Wolf Security during the OS imaging process to enhance security even further.
HP Sure Click
HP Sure Click is an active protection system that keeps users safe when browsing. The technology works by opening websites in a micro-VM (virtual machine). Any present malware will then be contained within the VM, protecting the rest of your machine.
HP Sure Sense
This software offers ongoing protection against new threats as they emerge. Sophisticated algorithms and advanced machine-learning methods keep you safe from brand-new threats not found in databases yet.
HP Sure View
While there is no doubting the importance of online security, you should not overlook the importance of your security in the real world. For example, bad-faith actors may steal valuable data by reading it directly from your screen in a public place. HP Sure View prevents this by ensuring your screen cannot be read by anybody on either side of the screen.
HP Secure Erase
Although computers offer the option of permanently deleting files, the information is not usually fully deleted. Fragments of the files can remain, and sophisticated data recovery tools can use the fragments to restore previously deleted files.
Sophisticated data recovery tools can retrieve some files even after permanent deletion, potentially exposing you to data theft. This is very important when repurposing devices to equip a new user or prior to recycling devices at the end of their useful life. HP Secure Erase ensures that all data is thoroughly removed from your machine so it cannot be retrieved later. HP Sure Recover can also be configured to perform a secure erase before the imaging process begins.
Summary
HP Sure Recover is an essential business tool that will help streamline your operations and protect you from online attacks. If you’re in the field and your computer has stopped working, you’d usually have to push on without it. However, HP Sure Recover will help you recover your machine quickly, letting you get back to work as usual.
This platform’s easy-to-use design is also ideal for IT departments under heavy workloads. Most users can recover the OS image on their computers themselves without calling IT. You can also use HP Sure Recover alongside other HP security systems for comprehensive protection.
