Is your printer a security risk? Failing to protect your printer is like leaving the backdoor to your office unlocked 24/7. Because cybercriminals know how vulnerable and unsuspecting printers can be, they’re often the first place they try.
Left unsecured, your printer acts as a direct line to your network, email, and sensitive data. It only takes one attempt to unravel all the cybersecurity precautions you’ve put in place.
Don’t overlook this easy access point. Using these printer security best practices can help you close a well-worn hacker gateway.
Why There is No Cybersecurity Without Printer Security
With operating systems and hard drives, printers are much more like computers than we may realize. “Given their storage capabilities, printers also contain enormous (and often sensitive) data, which includes every document that’s been printed or sent via that printer,” reminds Jason Rader, vice president, and chief security officer at Insight. Printer security risks are often overlooked.
Think of what it means that you can print all those sensitive documents from your email. In addition to connecting to the network (and all the other devices on it), printers also open access to everything in your inbox.
The print equipment ecosystem is vast and typically includes network, remote, and personal printers, all of which come with printer-specific security risks like:
- Forgotten or stolen printed documents with sensitive information.
- Unsecured data on multifunction printers (MFPs) or compromised printer configurations.
- Third-party mobile device printing apps that create multiple entry points.
How Printer Security Breaches Can Devastate Your Business
Despite 33% of IT decision-makers feeling “completely confident that their print infrastructure was protected against security breaches”, 74% had experienced “data losses due to unsecured printing practices”, according to one Quocirca study.
And those losses are costly. Print-related data breaches average $400,000 per incident, something 60% of businesses in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have experienced.
While data loss can be devastating for an organization and its reputation, it’s not the only way an unsecured printer can create chaos.
As Cybernews reminds us, once a hacker has gained access to your printer, they’re easily able to:
- Access any stored document that’s been printed, including those with sensitive or confidential information
- Manipulate your printer with unauthorized print jobs or delete print logs
- Infect your network with Mirai Botnet malware or launch DDoS attacks
Steps to Mitigate Printer Security Risks
Some of these best practices to secure your printer may look familiar. Many are the same actions you’d take in your broader cybersecurity efforts. Applying them to the more unassuming pieces of equipment in your office can save you from attacks and breaches. Here’s how to avoid printer security risk.
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Strengthening Your Printer Security Strategy
It bears repeating that no cybersecurity strategy is complete without a dedicated printer security strategy, too. Ensure your printing policies and processes are as clear and well-developed as they are for the rest of your IT suite.
Remember that the more security layers you have between you and potential attackers, the less vulnerable you and your printer will be. To discuss secure printer options from our portfolio and minimize printer security risk, visit: https://bigsys.com/wp/store/HP-Printers-c113174771
