Is office printing the weak link in your network infrastructure?

Cybersecurity is a hot topic at the moment.  Almost daily there is news coverage regarding data breaches from high-profile brands and companies.  As technology continues to evolve the risks MFDs pose are potentially even greater if the correct security measures are not in place.

It’s not surprising that 60% of businesses have suffered at least one data loss through unsecured printing in the past year. What’s astonishing is that while 55% of those respondents viewed print security as important, only 25% are confident their print security is protected from threats. Businesses really need to mitigate these risks, especially in the face of the General Data Protection Regulation coming into force on the 25th of May this year.

A photocopier or Multi-Functional Device (MFD) can be found in almost every office across the country, sitting unassumingly printing, scanning and copying on demand. This technology can do a lot more than people realise and could be a weak link in your IT infrastructure if measures aren’t taken to properly secure it.

MFDs have a hard drive that stores every print, copy and scan that goes through the device and this information needs to be protected.  Advances in technology have led to MFDs having built-in web servers that enable complex data to be shared across a company network, so confidential documents such as invoices, employee documents or customer information are regularly moving across the network between desktops, mobiles and the printer.  This flow of information, if not properly protected, can leave your data vulnerable, so it’s important to understand the role MFDs play in the security chain.

Print technology is smarter than ever before.  MFDs are a central hub which captures, processes, routes and stores documents and vast amounts of information. The nature of these devices being internet ready, means that if they are not properly secured they can provide a back door for hackers to enter the corporate network and do some real damage.

Print security needs to be carefully considered as part of your overall GDPR strategy. Businesses need to assess how to protect print devices and company documents, ensuring information remains safe and in the right hands.