An article looks at the real security risk to printers and the important data that can be hacked.
CIO noted that although computers and mobile phones are a target for cyber criminals because of the valuable data they hold, the printer is somewhat overlooked and yet holds sensitive data with “an open door […] for any hacker to access”. The article also mentioned that a printer on a network has an IP address, which is easy for hackers to use if the printer is not secured.
Once access is gained, a hacker can change your settings and take any scanned documents from the hard drive, as well as gain access to the printer’s Active Directory information, which can lead them to the users of the printer and their networks. Because modern printers have hardware, software and internet access and are used for by multiple users “they require the same degree of protection as PCs or any other mobile devices that need to be secure on the network”, advised the article, and HP Inc has a firmware SureStart BIOS that addresses this.
The OEM has “mapped this over their printers” to deliver the protection they need, and it works in the background as soon as the model is turned on, helping to secure the device from attack, and “validates the integrity of that firmware code at every boot cycle”. The article also explained that the firmware can detect a compromised version on start-up, and has the technology for the printer to boot a known backup of a good copy.
Other features include “white listing and runtime intrusion detection”, which checks for anything abnormal during firmware or memory operations, and if the printer is attacked “the device automatically reboots”. It was also noted that HP Inc’s Security Manager software, which can also be “used to manage fleets [and] can access information about who is using the printers”.
It can also identify where that person is, as well as flagging up any printer that may be at risk, and can “control the whole fleet from one management system”. CIO added that it offers a free printer risk assessment.