Are these 5 mistakes compromising your printer’s security?
August 11, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Security, Special Report
MFPs are constantly getting smarter and more “computer-like” — which makes them more vulnerable to the security risks that affect other devices.
With networked MFPs, security breaches are possible at every step of the printing process — on the user’s computer, on the server, between the server and the printer, and on the printer itself.
Last but not least, there’s a low-tech risk that’s been around as long as shared printers: a co-worker or other passer-by taking someone else’s pages out of the printer’s output tray.
That problem’s apparently widespread — 56% of employees have seen sensitive documents left in the printer unattended, according to a recent survey by Samsung Electronics.
Here are five common mistakes businesses make that compromise printer security:
- Printing off an unsecured disk – If your device prints off its own disk, you can probably set it to erase the disk after every job (sometimes you need to buy add-on software from your vendor). Alternatively, some printers let you bypass the hard disk and print straight from RAM (which is more secure but takes longer). Finally, you can buy a model without a hard disk — that’s an option you may not even need.
- Not requiring authentication where it’s needed – A common mistake of setting up shared printers is treating every department the same — even though some deal with more sensitive documents than others. Though it may be too big a hassle in some places, for departments that regularly print confidential documents, consider getting a printer that requires a user to enter a password into the machine before it prints. Some models also use swipe cards, or even biometric fingerprint readers.
- Keeping the reprint option – Some printer models let users hit a button that prints another copy of the previous job. Obviously you don’t want that capability when someone’s printing a secure document.
- Ignoring virus protection – Printers and MFPs usually get the least attention when it comes to viruses, but there’s still malware out there than can take control of a printer or steal the documents being sent to the device. One way to reduce risk: Get a model with a proprietary operating system.
- Failing to train users – Like any security issues, the risks associated with MFPs contain a significant human element. It’s important for employees who regularly print sensitive docs to be aware of the risks and know what they can do to minimize problems.
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Tags: malware, secure printing, theft
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August 11th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
This is really one of the informative posts I’ve read. Honestly, I am guilty since I’ve made the above mistakes sometimes that’s why it’s not surprising if I keep on having problems when printing my projects and documents.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
[...] This post was Twitted by cactusandivy [...]
August 13th, 2009 at 9:49 am
The problems with security are even wider than the story suggests. eCopy commissioned original research earlier this year and found that the vast majority of organisations are still unnecessarily photocopying documents containing sensitive data, increasing the risk of lost information and identity fraud.
The research found that seven in ten (70%) organisations frequently make paper copies of original documentation containing personal and sensitive information, including letters/correspondence (50%), financial (47%), identification (34%) and legal (30%) documents. One quarter (25%) are failing to securely dispose of documents, with an alarming 22% recycling them without shredding, leaving sensitive and personal data freely accessible to fraudsters – while 3% just throw paper copies into the bin.
The best solution to capture and protect sensitive data is to introduce it into a secure electronic workflow directly from the input device, either a scanner or an MFP, from where the user can select authentication options that enhance security and accountability, thereby protecting and controlling who gets to view, edit or print the scanned document. In this way organisations can minimise potential failures in following business processes by enabling Intelligent Document Routing and enforce better compliance through comprehensive audit trails.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:43 am
Recently our company had a hard drive replaced on a MFP. While setting up the user mailboxes on the MFP we noticed it had saved scanned data still on it from another organization (it was a used hard drive in which we were aware.) We believe it was an honest mistake, we immediately deleted these documents and notified our vendor how important it is to check these things when dealing with used hardware.
March 17th, 2010 at 3:32 am
This might be a weird question, but I am a vegan, so am looking for printer toner that do not contain any animal suffering. I understand that a lot of compatible toner cartridges contain either ingredients that have been tried out on rabbits, or are made with animal products. Are there any toners that are completely artificial?