October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. And I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that your business cybersecurity plans should include your networked printers. If they don’t, you are at risk of receiving a cybersecurity “trick” instead of a “treat.”
The concept of print security can be scary as there are a multitude of evolving cyberthreats lurking and waiting. These print security villians are hoping for an opportunity to turn your office printer into a zombie and creep farther into your network in the hopes of exploiting your data or holding it for ransom.
Gordon Flesch Company’s approach to print security is simple. We leverage the highest level of print security software, protocols and professionals in the industry. Our goal is to help ensure that our customers’ systems stay safe from cyber criminals and internal threats, too.
In fact, we’re so committed to print security that Gordon Flesch Company and our Managed IT division, Elevity, created a Security Council to help clients stay on top of emerging print security risks.
Wondering where to start? Here’s an introduction for you this spooky fall season to five scary facts about print security:
INFOGRAPHIC: Cybersecurity for Your Printer
It is estimated that cyberthreats target computers and computer-like, internet accessible devices such as office printers – every 39 seconds. That’s over 2,200 cyberattacks each day.
In addition to increasing numbers of cyberthreat attempts, the complexity of threats is also evolving. Individualized attacks constructed by generative AI have become more common and are expected to multiply in the near future.
A recent industry report found that 67% of surveyed organizations had experienced a data loss of some type due to unsecure printing within the last year. Some of these data losses were small, while others were not. In addition, mid-size organizations were found to have experienced more frequent data losses than larger organizations.
Today, printers are often networked devices – just like any other computer. Therefore, if left unsecured, they are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Gaining access is only the start. If given an opportunity to roam inside your network, a threat actor could release a malicious virus and execute harmful code designed to lock you out of your data and possibly hold it for ransom.
This is why it’s important to have secure device set-up measures in place when installing a new printer. In this manner, it’s also crucial to have a firmware management plan for updates and secure end-of-life measures when replacing an older printer as well. Print security isn’t just about today, it’s about the full lifecycle of your print fleet.
External threats such as phishing emails or unsecured endpoints are what most people think of when discussing cybersecurity threats. However, internal threats can be lurking inside of your company. Even seemingly simple ones. Documents forgotten on an office printer or copier could be picked up by other employees. Perhaps the documents are for general use. But if the documents contain sensitive information (e.g., company financials, HR data) they could potentially be used for reasons other than what was originally intended.
Remote working is on the rise. Hybrid work schedules have increased productivity and work/life balance for many. However, printing work documents on a device that has not been authorized by the employer’s IT department – can be risky. Shadow Printing is one form of Shadow IT, which is a significant risk that needs to be covered in a business’s cybersecurity plan. Whether it’s employees working from home or Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, convenience should not outweigh security.
Secure mobile and BYOD printing is possible for businesses. A trusted Managed Print provider will be able to recommend secure “follow me” print solutions to allow remote-working employees to send a document for printing. Later, when in the office the employee can release the document at the printer and pick it up.
The explosion of generative AI has assisted many to be more productive. While we’d like to focus on the positive things AI has done for businesses, AI is unfortunately also being used to find sneaky, individualized ways to stage new cyberattacks.
On the flip side, printer manufacturers have been responding by strengthening device security. Leaders in this category include Canon, Ricoh and Lexmark.
Get a solid overview of why print security is important, how it works and what you can expect from implementing a proper endpoint security strategy. Don’t wait until something happens, download your free copy of our Quick Guide to Print Security.
