01732 759725 SECURITY 34 Quocirca’s Global Print Security Landscape Report 2023 reveals that IT decision-makers are less confident in the security of their print network than they were a year ago Quocirca finds confidence in print security falls that print security gets the right degree of attention. “Print-related breach and data loss risk remains high, so businesses must continue working to address gaps.” She continued: “Our research identified a significant disconnect between the views of CIOs and CISOs on print security, which may be preventing companies from determining the true level of risk. Independent, in-depth risk assessments are a vital tool to give senior leaders objective evidence of print security gaps across devices and document workflows and enable consensus on the actions needed to protect the enterprise.” Keeping up with print security demands 39 per cent of survey respondents said it is becoming harder to keep up with print security demands. Almost half (42 per cent) of organisations report suffering a cybersecurity incident in the past year, this rises to 55 per cent in mid-market companies and 51 per cent in the finance sector. 61 per cent of the organisations polled admitted that they experienced a data loss related to unsecured printing, rising to 63 per cent in the UK and 67 per cent among retail businesses. Although some breaches involve malicious device compromise, many are attributed to human errors such as printouts left in output trays. Of note is the fact that 79 per cent expect to increase print security spending over the coming year, rising to 86 per cent in the US, and 85 per cent in professional services and retail organisations. Approaches to print security are maturing Quocirca classes more than a quarter (27 per cent) of organisations in its research sample as Leaders in its Print Security Maturity Index, a rise from 18 per cent in 2022. These organisations have implemented six or more measures to protect the print infrastructure. A further 59 per cent are Followers who have adopted two to five measures and the remaining 15 per cent are Laggards, with only one or no measures in place. Almost half (47 per cent) of print security Leaders reported one or more data losses due to unsecure printing, but this rose to 65 per cent among Followers and 68 per cent among Laggards. Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of firms operating a mixed fleet reported at least one breach, while only 56 per cent of those operating a standard fleet experienced a breach. MPS users are generally happier with the security capabilities of their supplier than those not using MPS. 39 per cent are very satisfied, compared with 23 per cent of non-MPS users. “There is a clear opportunity here for MPS vendors to reduce breach risk by moving clients to a managed, singlevendor fleet. Interestingly, however, users of MPS were more likely to report security breaches than those with no MPS. This may be due to the fact that MPS is more likely to uncover a data breach,” Louella commented. “As more employees return to the office and the long-term shape of hybrid working unfolds, businesses need to work to improve confidence in print security. Now is an ideal time to draw on the expertise of suppliers and conduct comprehensive print security assessments, allowing organisations can gain the insight they need to address security gaps and move forward with greater certainty,” she concluded. www.quocirca.com The 2023 report finds that increasing print volumes and growth in hybrid work, create security risks. The average cost of a print-related data breach has risen to £743,000 from £631,915 in 2022. Less than one-fifth (19 per cent) of IT-decision-makers say they are completely confident that their print infrastructure is protected from security breaches and data losses today, a drop from 23 per cent in 2022. This is despite the fact that organisations are becoming more mature in their approach to print security, with a greater proportion having implemented key protection and policy measures. Disconnected on print security CIOs and CISOs have differing views on the level of challenge and risk associated with staying ahead of print security issues. CISOs are more positive – only 28 per cent say it has become harder to keep up with print security challenges, compared to 50 per cent of CIOs and an overall average of 39 per cent. Similarly, only 45 per cent of CISOs are concerned about the risk of unsecured printers, compared to 72 per cent of CIOs. These figures indicate that the two key influencers over security and data protection in the enterprise are not aligned in their perception of the risk residing in the print infrastructure. Louella Fernandes, Research Director at Quocirca, said: “It is encouraging that organisations are adopting more print security measures and growing in maturity, although this is not fully translating to confidence. With 70 per cent of organisations remaining dependent on print and 68 per cent expecting growth in office print volumes as employees return to the office, work is still needed to ensure Louella Fernandes Director, Quocirca Print Security Landscape, 2023 Quocirca conducted a study amongst 507 IT Decision Makers across the US, UK, France and Germany Trends and opportunities for securing the hybrid workplace DOWN EXECUTIVE SUMM RESEARCH CONDUCT www.quoc
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=