Integrated, persistent security monitoring of electronic merchandise

An electronic device configured for retail display includes a persistent memory on which boot instructions are stored, a storage device on which security monitoring instructions are stored, and a processor configured to execute the boot instructions during a boot sequence to initiate execution of the security monitoring instructions. The processor is further configured, via the execution of the security monitoring instructions, to monitor the retail display of the electronic device for a security trigger event and, upon detection of the trigger event, lock a user interface of the electronic device.