A Secure Printer for a Secure Network
Is your company’s data protected? If you have a networked printer, it may not be. Nearly half of all cyberattacks are aimed at small and medium-sized businesses – often because they are lacking in printer and network security. With some simple printer security solutions, you can help ensure your network’s safety and avoid becoming a victim.
Data Encryption
When your data is traveling over a network to the printer, it could be intercepted by hackers, exposing your company to a major breach. By encrypting your data during all network transmissions – to the printer, the cloud or network storage – you are rendering any intercepted information useless.
User Authentication and Auditing
With so much valuable information passing through your networked printers each day, restricting access can mean preventing data theft. User authentication can take several forms:
- Password restricted access to features such as scanning or faxing.
- Password protecting all scanned and digitized documents.
- “Pull” printing – requiring a user to enter a code or other identifier at the printer before the job is released to eliminate unclaimed prints on the tray.
By requiring user authentication, you can restrict use to only trusted employees, and reduce your risk of a breach.
Many printers also offer usage logs, allowing you to see who is using your printer and for what tasks. This will allow you to ensure that all usage is how you intended it to be, and track down any unauthorized usage easily.
Hard Drive Cleaning
Your printer is not just a printer – it is a type of computer, complete with data storage. To protect your data, you want the ability to delete and sanitize your printer’s hard drive periodically. Some printers may also allow you to schedule a periodic deletion for automated security.
Automation
You can keep scanned documents secure with cloud-to-device automation that controls which cloud applications are used to store your information.
For many SMBs, the office printer can be the weak link allowing criminals access to your network and all the data stored on it. By enhancing your printer security with features such as these, you can protect your business from a dangerous cyberattack.
