Absolute Security has acquired FirmGuard, Phoenix Technologies’ firmware security, management, and connectivity service, to expand the protection capabilities of its below-the-operating-system cybersecurity platform. The deal brings security functions for UEFI and BIOS firmware, including integrity verification, patch management, and compliance control, with particular attention to corporate devices, AI workstations, and systems running autonomous agents.
The FirmGuard acquisition in 20 seconds
- Absolute Security has acquired FirmGuard from Phoenix Technologies to expand its firmware protection.
- The technology improves visibility, integrity checking, and update management at the firmware level.
- Absolute says its technology is embedded in 600 million devices through agreements with Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
- The integration aims to expand below-the-OS management, add more data-wiping options, and unify control from firmware to cloud.
- The company places firmware security among the measures needed to protect enterprise AI infrastructure and reduce operational disruption.
The deal focuses on a security layer that acts before Windows, Linux, or other operating systems boot. Firmware is involved in the earliest stages of a device’s power-on sequence, making it important for initializing hardware, checking system configuration, and enabling certain recovery tasks. It can also become a target for attackers, since an intrusion at this level can be difficult to detect with tools focused on the operating system.
Absolute plans to combine FirmGuard’s capabilities with its Absolute Persistence technology, embedded in the firmware of certain devices. The company states that this integration will expand the options for checking device integrity, managing updates, and maintaining control of devices even when the operating system is damaged or fails to boot.
Why firmware security matters in the AI era
Firmware sits very close to the hardware and runs before the operating system. Because of this, a vulnerability or intrusion at this layer can compromise security mechanisms that depend on later software components. Other vendors are tackling this problem from different angles — Nuvoton and AMI, for instance, recently built hardware-rooted security into the baseboard management controllers of AI servers. In certain scenarios, an attacker who manages to act at the firmware level can make their activity harder to detect or maintain persistence after the operating system is reinstalled.
Absolute cites studies pointing to a rise in attacks against firmware and hardware. It also references data from an HP Wolf Security study published in 2024, according to which 80% of the technology and security leaders surveyed believed artificial intelligence (AI) would accelerate the exploitation of vulnerabilities. The company adds that 60% delay firmware updates and that more than half of respondents report experiencing what it calls FOMU, short for Fear of Making Updates.
These figures come from the studies cited by Absolute and should be read in light of their respective samples and methodologies. They don’t necessarily represent the situation at every organization. They do illustrate a common difficulty for technology teams: firmware updates can be complex to manage across large device fleets, and the fear of causing failures can delay applying fixes.
The expansion of AI workloads adds another dimension. Companies are using specialized workstations and deploying software agents capable of carrying out tasks with varying degrees of autonomy. Protecting these systems requires controlling applications and the operating system, but also checking integrity and keeping hardware under supervision.
Absolute argues that having visibility and control from the firmware level can help reduce risk and recover devices affected by attacks or software failures. However, the announcement doesn’t demonstrate that FirmGuard alone can prevent any unexpected behavior from autonomous agents. The outcome will depend on which capabilities get integrated and how organizations configure and use the platform.
What FirmGuard brings to Absolute’s platform
FirmGuard provides security, management, and connectivity functions for UEFI and BIOS firmware. Absolute wants to fold these capabilities into Absolute Persistence, its patented technology embedded in firmware that keeps a management connection to certain devices.
The company states that its technology is embedded in 600 million end-user devices through agreements with Dell, HP, and Lenovo. That figure describes the reach of its current technology, not the number of devices that already have the new FirmGuard capabilities following the acquisition.
The first phase of integration covers several capabilities:
- Expanded below-the-OS management, with more options for monitoring and administering devices from the firmware level.
- Continuous integrity verification and patching, aimed at detecting issues and keeping firmware up to date.
- More data-wiping options, intended to expand the alternatives available to administrators when a device needs to be wiped.
- A unified console from firmware to cloud, bringing management functions together in a single interface.
These capabilities are part of the integration plans announced by Absolute. The company hasn’t published a detailed timeline for when each feature will be available, nor has it confirmed that all of them are already built into a single product.
The combined platform aims to help technology teams manage devices throughout their lifecycle, including when the operating system is damaged or fails to boot. Recovery from below the operating system can be useful in those situations, though its effectiveness depends on device compatibility, configuration, and the nature of the incident.
Absolute also mentions its collaborations with NVIDIA and HP in the area of AI workstations and autonomous agents. The announcement places them within its security strategy for these environments, but doesn’t specify that all of FirmGuard’s capabilities are already integrated with NVIDIA hardware or available across every AI workstation model.
What changes for IT and cybersecurity teams
For businesses, the practical question is how the acquisition will affect the tools available to their administrators. Firmware security usually requires different processes than those used to update the operating system or manage device protection. Bringing more functions into a single platform could simplify oversight, provided the integration delivers the visibility and control announced.
Potential benefits include a clearer view of firmware integrity, more consistent update management, and new recovery options. These capabilities can be useful for organizations with large device fleets, especially those using AI workstations or facing strict security and compliance requirements.
The acquisition also reflects a feature of corporate device security: protection can’t rely solely on software running inside the operating system. Hardware, firmware, the operating system, and cloud services each carry different risks, so security teams need mechanisms to detect and manage issues across the different layers.
Christy Wyatt, president and CEO of Absolute Security, argues that the strengthened platform will help businesses protect their AI initiatives from threats, complexity, and disruption. Gerard Moore, CEO of FirmGuard, has also argued that the integration will improve the security and availability of enterprise AI devices.
The announcement doesn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal. Boston Meridian Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to Phoenix Technologies for the acquisition.
FAQ
What is FirmGuard?
FirmGuard is a Phoenix Technologies service for UEFI and BIOS firmware security, management, and connectivity. Absolute Security acquired it to expand its device protection and management capabilities.
Why does firmware security matter?
Firmware runs before the operating system and plays a role in booting the device. If it’s compromised, it can create problems that operating-system-focused tools struggle to detect or resolve.
What FirmGuard capabilities will Absolute add?
The first phase will expand below-the-OS management, continuously verify firmware integrity, manage patches, add data-wiping options, and bring these capabilities together in a single console.
Will all of Absolute’s devices already have FirmGuard?
No. Absolute says its firmware-embedded technology is present on 600 million devices through agreements with manufacturers. The company has announced an integration plan, but hasn’t confirmed that all those devices already have the new FirmGuard capabilities.
via: Absolute
