Printers are the weak link in the security of businesses, according to research.
IT Brief reported that new research has discovered 61 percent of businesses have fallen foul of insecure printing data, despite the fact that business operations are required to have data protection, for which print security is essential. Quocirca and Y Soft surveyed 200 organisations and received 1,000 replies, which showed that 48 percent were susceptible to “printer hard disk theft or retrieval”, and that 50 percent of print jobs were captured during the print queue or network.
Printed work left in the output trays amounted to 47 percent and 44 percent were scanned from an MFP to “the outside world”, while 18 percent of the MFPs were not secure. Sensitive data is at risk within businesses, and this can be harmful if it is distributed in certain ways, the companies warned. MFPs are vulnerable to hacking because they are an “internet-connected endpoint”, said Y Soft, and that document security should be paramount, as the consequences for breaches of data security are expensive, not only financially and legally, but also for the reputation of the company.
Adam O’Neil, Managing Director for Y Soft Australia, said: “As organisations increasingly connect to the Internet of Things, their cyber-attack surface expands. Internet-connected multifunction devices are one such endpoint that can be readily exploited, placing sensitive information at risk. Organisations need to ensure their printing is secure.”
“This requires a comprehensive approach that includes education, policy and technology. With the aid of a secure workflow management platform and employee training, implemented by a trusted provider, organisations can feel comfortable that their valuable data is protected.”