There is no reason for any printer to compromise security and expose an organisation to network intrusion, data loss and regulatory compliance issues intrusion, data loss and regulatory compliance issues. The responsibility for this begins with us as vendors, to ensure that our products meet the highest security standards. For us this means subjecting them to rigorous internal and independent external penetration testing. As an example, our bizhub i-Series multifunction printers have been subjected to 80 hours of hacking by experts looking to find and exploit vulnerabilities. I am pleased to report that nothing could be detected. “However, it is also important to recognise that not all security threats are external. Confidential documents left in an output tray (or remaining on the MFD hard disk) can present a real risk if it falls into the wrong hands, whether intentionally or not. For this reason, it is essential to think about who can use which devices, for what purpose and where, at the point of installation. “User authentication, account tracking and restricting access at an individual level, can help to ensure documents are only printed by those authorised to do so, and private documents cannot be printed by devices located in public areas. Simple steps such as requiring a valid credential – biometric, access card or password – to be entered on the device ensure the presence of an authorised person and reduces the risk of document loss. “In the world of document and data security, it is rightly said that you are only as strong as your weakest link, so it is essential that printers are subject to the same stringent security standards as any other networked device. This can be achieved without compromising connectivity or productivity. “When we look at the specific area of print security our recommendations to SMEs are always to keep things simple and effective. Utilise a print management tool such as PaperCut, keeping print and scan jobs encrypted. Keep firmware up to date with the latest releases. We all saw the headlines a few years ago when the WannaCry ransomware targeted Windows XP; out of date software is still an active target. Enable HDDs to overwrite on devices, and erase or destroy HDDs when replacing old devices. And most importantly, train your people. These practices all sound simple, and they are. However, they are very effective at keeping out threats.” www.konicaminolta.co.uk Andy Johnson, Solutions Alliance Partner Manager and Training Manager , Brother UK: “Businesses are continuing to bed-in the hybrid working policies they adopted last summer. But for all the benefits flexible working delivers, it has created a major security headache for the IT leads now in charge of dispersed networks of people – Censuswide research found that a third of IT decision-makers (ITDMs) say that data vulnerabilities created by remote workers was their biggest concern. “Print security can be easy to overlook, which leaves the backdoor open for hackers to access networks, data and confidential documentation. Hybrid working has only exacerbated the problem – it’s much more difficult for IT leads to maintain oversight and control of all the devices connected to a company’s systems, which includes printers and multifunction devices. “Many businesses are turning to print management solutions to tackle the challenge. These can allow IT leads to improve the security of their devices by automatically downloading the latest security updates to ensure that the firmware is one step ahead of would-be hackers. Tools such as Brother’s Remote Panel also bolster security as they can help IT teams to monitor devices, diagnose issues and fix vulnerabilities remotely, which is especially important in an age of decentralised working. “Print management solutions also improve the security of the documents themselves. We work with partners like Kofax and PaperCut to offer cloud-based or on-premise solutions that enables IT leads to monitor what documents are being printed, prevent the printing of confidential documents and set rules to help reduce printing costs.” www.brother.co.uk PRINTITRESELLER.UK 45 VOX POP Mark Ash Andy Johnson
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