Principled Technologies says Dell leads in below-the-OS PC security

Principled Technologies released independent research on July 24, 2026 comparing Dell, HP and Lenovo PCs with Intel vPro, finding Dell fully supported all 10 below-the-OS security capabilities evaluated. The report says the gaps matter because firmware and hardware attacks can evade traditional endpoint defenses and complicate enterprise compliance.

Why it matters: - Firmware and hardware attacks can bypass traditional endpoint security tools. - Enterprise buyers are looking for stronger PC security, endpoint protection and system management at the hardware level. - Principled Technologies says Dell PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra processors with Intel vPro offer deeper below-the-OS security than HP or Lenovo alternatives.

What happened: - Principled Technologies published independent research on July 24, 2026 comparing Dell, HP and Lenovo business PCs with Intel Core Ultra processors and Intel vPro. - The report focused on below-the-operating-system security and firmware protection. - Principled Technologies used publicly available OEM documentation to evaluate 10 firmware and hardware capabilities. - The report found Dell fully supports all 10 evaluated security features. - HP fully supports one feature and partially supports three. - Lenovo fully supports two features and partially supports one additional feature.

The details: - Dell’s fully supported capabilities include signed manifest of factory configuration. - Dell supports quantum-resistant embedded security controller, BIOS and Embedded Controller signing updates. - Dell supports quantum-resistant BIOS verification on demand via off-host measurements. - Dell supports Intel Management Engine firmware verification via off-host measurements. - Dell supports BIOS image capture for forensic and security analysis. - Dell supports early and ongoing attack sequence detection. - Dell supports detection and remediation of common vulnerabilities and exposures, or CVEs. - Dell supports user credential storage using dedicated hardware. - Dell supports hardware-assisted security with Dell, Intel and CrowdStrike. - Dell supports below-the-OS telemetry integration for enhanced visibility. - The report says Dell Secured Component Verification is a key differentiator. - Dell manages the full verification pipeline for SCV on Cloud through its own cloud infrastructure. - Dell keeps root of trust in the verification process. - Dell says SCV on Cloud enables fleetwide visibility through Microsoft Intune, Dell TechDirect and CrowdStrike Falcon without requiring dedicated verification server infrastructure. - Dell was the only OEM in the comparison to provide off-host BIOS verification, strengthened with quantum-resistant hashing. - Dell was the only OEM to provide off-host Intel Management Engine firmware verification against known-good references stored in Dell cloud infrastructure. - The report says those capabilities support remote device attestation and Zero Trust security architectures. - Dell Trusted Device integrates natively with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform. - CrowdStrike Falcon surfaces BIOS verification results, Indicators of Attack, Intel ME Firmware Verification, CVE Detection and Secured Component Verification telemetry from Dell devices. - Dell and CrowdStrike jointly developed more than 60 custom indicators of compromise for Dell infrastructure. - Dell ControlVault 3+ achieved FIPS 140-3 level 3 certification, the highest credential security level among the OEMs evaluated. - Principled Technologies says the research confirms Dell PCs with Intel vPro deliver leading security and system management depth versus HP and Lenovo.

Between the lines: - The comparison centers on controls that operate below the operating system, where traditional endpoint tools have less visibility. - Dell’s cloud-based verification model reduces the need for customers to stand up and maintain separate verification servers. - The emphasis on quantum-resistant signing and hashing signals a push to future-proof hardware security as threat models evolve. - The CrowdStrike integration suggests Dell is trying to make firmware and device-integrity data easier to use inside existing security workflows.

What's next: - Organizations evaluating fleet security may use the report as a reference point for vendor comparisons. - The report points buyers toward below-the-OS protections as a key requirement for compliance, resilience and risk reduction. - More information is available in the full Principled Technologies research report.