Analyst(s): Olivier Blanchard
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
HP unveiled the world’s first quantum-resistant business printers at its Amplify 2025 event. The new 8000 Series—featuring models like the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP 8801, Mono MFP 8601, and LaserJet Pro Mono SFP 8501—incorporates ASIC chips with quantum-safe cryptography to secure firmware against quantum computer threats.
What is Covered in this Article:
- HP introduces the first quantum-resistant business printers at Amplify 2025
- Models feature ASIC chips with quantum-safe cryptography and digital signature verification
- Devices secure BIOS and boot firmware to resist quantum-level firmware tampering
- Printers integrate with Zero Trust Network Architectures to strengthen fleet-wide security
- The announcement aligns with the US 2027 quantum-security procurement mandate
The News: During its Amplify 2025 event, HP unveiled its new 8000 Series printers, marking a novel forward step in cybersecurity for the printer category, globally designed to defend against quantum computer threats. The new models – Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP 8801, Mono MFP 8601, and LaserJet Pro Mono SFP 8501 – come equipped with specialized ASIC chips that integrate quantum-resistant cryptographic mechanisms and digital signature checks to verify firmware integrity from the ground up.
Perhaps more importantly, the printers are also fully compatible with Zero Trust Network Architectures, which positions them to assist organizations in meeting fast-approaching U.S. government mandates requiring quantum-secure firmware and software for all National Security Systems by 2027.
Could Quantum-Resistant Printers Be the Next IT Procurement Standard?
Analyst Take: This announcement from HP is less about innovation for its own sake and more a direct reaction to a mounting concern shared by IT leaders across both public and private sectors: how to future-proof infrastructure against fast-approaching quantum threats. Rather than exploring abstract possibilities, HP is aligning its roadmap with real regulatory timelines and cleverly focusing on printers. Printers tend to be overlooked in cyber defense planning despite creating potential network vulnerabilities. HP is seizing the opportunity to help solve that problem at the device level. While the broader takeaway touches on an industry-wide shift in how security at the device level is being redefined and prioritized, it is encouraging to see HP continuously find ways to inject more value into its print business. Addressing this specific type of threat is likely even more valuable to IT leaders than AI integrations and sustainable technologies. (Not to minimize the importance of AI and sustainability innovation. The more value propositions, the better, and addressing emerging cybersecurity threats could be the feature that tips the scales for most IT buyers.)
Quantum-Resistant Firmware Protection for Long-Lifecycle Devices
Though often seen as basic peripheral hardware, modern printers increasingly function as edge devices – with all the accompanying exposure that brings. HP’s new lineup incorporates custom ASICs that support quantum-resistant Leighton-Micali Signatures (LMS), offering protection that begins as early as the BIOS boot stage. Since many printers, especially multifunction ones, are kept in service for nearly a decade, implementing robust hardware-based security from the start helps mitigate the well-known weaknesses in legacy firmware protections – particularly in endpoints that traditionally operate without third-party security solutions.
This isn’t simply an added feature – it’s a strategic move aligned with the NSA and NIST mandates. Chief among them is the CNSA 2.0 directive, which lays out a clear path requiring quantum-resilient firmware for federal systems by 2027. While federal agencies may be among the first to adopt this technology, other industries – like finance and healthcare – face mounting pressure to safeguard aging stores of sensitive data. By introducing quantum-resilient hardware now, HP offers customers a future-ready option that avoids the need for rushed hardware upgrades later.
Integration with Zero Trust Architectures
HP’s approach to print security has evolved in tandem with the Zero Trust philosophy. It’s no longer just about user identities or access points; device-level trust and firmware verification are now core elements. The ability of these new printers to fold seamlessly into Zero Trust frameworks means they can now be factored into larger enterprise security strategies, which often include endpoint risk management and fleet-wide monitoring. That’s especially crucial in highly regulated environments or networks where print infrastructure is visible only at a surface level – conditions that bad actors can exploit via firmware-level vulnerabilities that fly under the radar.
Operational and Procurement Considerations for IT Decision Makers
Strategically, HP has timed the 8000 Series launch to align with compliance deadlines and the natural cadence of enterprise print refreshes. Most organizations sign Managed Print Services (MPS) agreements on a three- to five-year basis, which means decisions made in 2025 will directly influence how ready they are for regulatory enforcement in 2027.
While the long-term strategy is clear, HP must still tackle a practical issue: supporting existing customer infrastructure. Although it’s confirmed that all printers shipping from Spring 2026 onward will boot with quantum-resilient protections enabled, the company hasn’t yet committed to upgrade paths or retrofit options for deployed devices. Firmware updates could provide limited coverage, but large organizations managing expansive printer fleets may find backward compatibility a sticking point. Without a defined plan to support legacy hardware, HP risks triggering concerns over premature obsolescence – something it will need to manage carefully if it wants customers to adopt upgrades on their own timeline rather than feeling forced into unplanned hardware replacements.
What to Watch:
- Competing printer vendors may accelerate quantum-safe product rollouts to retain public sector contracts.
- Healthcare and financial services buyers may follow federal timelines due to sensitive data exposure.
- Ambiguity around backward compatibility could delay upgrades for organizations with large installed fleets.
- Regulatory developments from NIST and NSA may influence procurement priorities and timelines.
The complete press release on HP’s launch of the world’s first quantum-resistant printers is on the HP website.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
Other insights from The Futurum Group:
HP Q1 FY 2025: Commercial PCs Fuel Growth, While Printing Struggles Against Market Pressures
HP Wolf Security Threat Intelligence: AI Ramps Efficiency for Cyber Attackers
HP: Elevating Security with a Multi-Layered Approach for the Modern Era
Author Information
Research Director Olivier Blanchard covers edge semiconductors and intelligent AI-capable devices for Futurum. In addition to having co-authored several books about digital transformation and AI with Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman, Blanchard brings considerable experience demystifying new and emerging technologies, advising clients on how best to future-proof their organizations, and helping maximize the positive impacts of technology disruption while mitigating their potentially negative effects. Follow his extended analysis on X and LinkedIn.
