Is security print really necessary?
Your office printers may look like harmless devices but they can pose major security risks to your business. From the threat of stolen documents and network breaches to leaving your printer vulnerable to spam or offensive messages, an unguarded printer can in fact be very dangerous. That’s what makes security print so crucial; it doesn’t just protect your employees and their sensitive information but also your business’s assets.
Accessing past documents
One of the biggest threats that unsecured printers pose is giving hackers the potential to access past documents. If your network printer’s internal hard drive has stored previous print jobs, then a hacker can gain access to the printer’s operating system to view those documents.
If these print jobs have been stored on a built-in hard drive or flash memory, the hacker can even access the documents while the printer is turned off. This allows them ready availability to potentially sensitive information which could end up costing you much more than the price of securing your printers in the first place.
Furthermore, documents can be intercepted even before they have reached the printer. If your network printer is receiving jobs over the office Wi-Fi, the documents can be intercepted by hackers during the wireless transmission. If your printer is not controlled and properly secured, hackers can take control of the printer from a remote location and take advantage of this vulnerability.
Change your login information
You may also not realise that many printers come with default login information which should be changed when you set up your office’s network printers. Many organisations never change the default credentials which can be easily found by doing a quick Google search (yes, it’s that easy!). This allows hackers to access the administration dashboard of your printers and intercept documents.
It all sounds quite worrying, doesn’t it? But there’s no need to unplug all of your printers and cease printing altogether. Instead, protect your printers: keep your firmware updated, disable unwanted features or unused network ports. Take control of your printing operations and protect your business in the process.
Outsource your printing
Another alternative is outsourcing the printing of sensitive documents. At Hague, we are experts in security printing solutions and document fraud prevention. Our clients include governments and blue chip corporations around the world who we have helped to combat forgery and counterfeiting. We also provide a fraud consultancy service and can offer you advice and solutions to protect you from document fraud.
Just fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our expert security print team will contact you to arrange a complimentary consultation.
