Copier and Printer Cyber Threats

With how far printers and copiers have come in our society today, they are capable of so much. They function like small computers, that have a full operating system, storage systems, and the ability to connect to broad networks. While this has made these devices impressive and much more versatile, just like computers they have become vulnerable to cyber threats. We will go over some of the rising threats, and what solutions we as your managed print service and IT management service could provide.

To first find a solution to the problem we need to understand why printers and copiers are being targeted. Hackers are after sensitive data, information they can steal from your company. Printers are known to regularly have these sensitive documents and details of your business stored within them, and without the appropriate security protocols and overall unawareness of knowing. It makes hacking the printer an easy target.

So, what are some things your business can do to fight against these cyber attacks? The biggest and the most recommended is to work with a Managed Print Service especially ones skilled in the field of cybersecurity. At Summit, we are both a managed print service and IT provider, this unique mix means we understand both network security and all things printers from its hardware to software.

We will list a handful of capabilities, we would bring to the table

1. Frequent Audit and Monitoring of Printer Activity

We provide robust software and constant monitoring to not only manage your toner but keep your documents safe from any lurking cyber threats.

Additionally, our software will keep documents encoded, so even as the information travels it will be rendered unreadable till authorized.

2. Onsite Interaction

We are a firm that believes in being more than just a provider, but a business partner. We value customer interaction, and our technicians are always prepared ready to be onsite to deal with any threats and maintenance.

3. Applying Firm updates and patches regularly

Frequent updates to your printer and copiers are a must. Often patches will come out for these devices that can add a layer of security to prevent hackers from exploiting anything. We can schedule routine updates, so the business doesn't have to keep checking constantly and slowing their workflow.

4. Implement Printer Authentication

We use printer job authentication to make sure only authorized users can retrieve documents. This includes but is not limited to features such as:

Pull printing, which is the act of a user authenticating themselves at the device before a print is allowed

Print to Me and Scan to Me, which is a feature that allows you to send print jobs or scans directly to any personal device whether that be a computer, tablet or smartphone.

Role based access control, providing granular control over who can access and modify settings. Adding layers upon layers of security to your machine.

We can even implement group based permissions, which allows the company to assign different printing permissions to different groups of users. Making the assigning of permissions even that much easier to distribute and classify.

All access controls can come equipped with username and password authentication, ID cards or even personal PIN codes. And as a final layer, you can even watermark your documents or give it a digital signature.

In summary, with the addition of new features to printers and copiers, businesses can do so much more than before. But with these additions, a managed print service is a necessity and a significant must compared to the past. Schedule a free assessment with summit today and allow us to evaluate your business with all these tools and so much more