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The latest Ricoh Process Effciency Index (see page 3) reveals a business community that continues to rely on manual processes and workfows. As well as being ineffcient, the processing of hard copies can lead to accidental or deliberate data loss, as Ricoh Europe Executive Vice President Carsten Bruhn points out. “The Index clearly illustrates how outdated, manual processes have multiple impacts on the business. For example, if critical information is processed using traditional hard-copy methods, business risk is enhanced as they are less likely to be backed-up. They are also easier to lose, making them more prone to security breaches,” he said. More than one third (36%) of the respondents to Ricoh’s survey admitted to losing or misplacing important information; and one in 12 said that their existing security procedures do not protect confdential documents. Canon, too, sees the security of hard copies as a critical element of overall MFD security. In a new guide on the subject

Cutting your losses

produced in conjunction with security consultancy IOActive, which Canon commissioned to test the vulnerability of its devices, it quotes Ponemon Institute research suggesting that paper-based records account for nearly a quarter of security breaches (www.canon-europe.com/securityguide). Hard copy documents pose a number of risks, ranging from loss and theft (deliberate and opportunistic) to accidental leakage to the outside world through inadequate document management and disposal strategies.

Sitting at the heart of business workfows, MFDs clearly have a critical impact on document security as they allow confdential documents to be printed, copied, faxed, scanned and emailed. So is there anything that can be done to make the production and processing of hard copies on MFDs more secure? Document controls Alongside solutions developed to secure the potential vulnerabilities of MFDs, e.g. the hard disk and network

interfaces, MFD vendors offer a number of tools to protect confdential documents. These start with secure PDF options including password encryption of scans and restricted printing, and extend to sophisticated anti-copy/scan solutions suitable for contracts, certifcates, prescriptions and other high value documents.

Examples of the latter include Sharp’s Document Control feature, which applies a faint pattern to each printed page that prevents it from being faxed, scanned or copied at a later date; and TROY secure document printing from HP, which allows customers to incorporate security features into documents printed in black and white on any HP PCL5 LaserJet printer or MFP. These include pantographs, which reveal a special pattern when unauthorised copying or scanning occurs; variable data watermarks that print customised messages on the back of each document; and MicroPrint that can be seen under magnifcation.

Another option offered in the latest version of Canon unifow print and scan management software is the ability to search documents for key words or combinations of words, such as Confdential or Top Secret, automatically as they are processed for printing, copying, scanning, emailing or faxing. When the software fnds a specifed word in a document it can either terminate the job instantly or send an alert to a supervisor and hold the job until

at

can help protect against insider threats and help reduce print costs. Requiring employees to log-on at an MFP before they use it, ensures that devices can only be used by authorised users and gives administrators the power to limit access to certain functions (e.g. scanning or copying).

In addition, user authentication by PIN code, network ID and password, biometrics (fngerprint scanning) or swipecard enables administrators to monitor individuals’ use of MFDs, set print/copy quotas or restrict printing from certain applications. On its own, this can encourage good printing habits, but it really comes into its own when combined with accounting and secure pull printing systems. Secure Print

The original purpose of the secure print systems found on most network printers was to maintain the confdentiality of documents by ensuring that output could not be taken from an output tray by a passing colleague or visitor before its owner had picked it up. Instead of pressing print and walking down the corridor to collect a document minutes or hours later, the secure print option delays printing until you enter a PIN on the printer and are present to pick your pages up. An added beneft is that it prevents prints, many of which are never collected, from accumulating in the output tray or beside the machine. This contributes to a neater, calmer working environment and saves money, toner and paper by eliminating the need for re-printing documents that have become mixed up or removed/ thrown away by colleagues. It also ensures that you only print the documents you really need, as any not pulled down to the printer within a certain time period are automatically deleted: Gartner research quoted by ThinPrint (see overleaf) suggests that pull printing and job routing software can reduce page volumes by as much as 10%. Today, the fnancial benefts of secure print systems have superseded their original

MFD suppliers like Ricoh offer a choice of user authentication systems including biometrics

As new research highlights the risks of paper-based processes, James Goulding considers how businesses can make their hard copy output more secure

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Secure Printing