Blog & Insights

General

Why your printer may be the weakest link in your cybersecurity efforts

Many businesses are heavily reliant on paper and whilst society is becoming more environmentally friendly, this shift in attitude and behaviour is a slow one. A reliance on paper means that printers still have a fundamental role in the workplace. However, whilst printers may still be in frequent use, they are rarely discussed in relation to cybersecurity and this is worrying.

Many don’t give their printers much thought, other than when printing. In most instances, printers are constantly connected to the network. As with any device connected to a network, this means that printers are a means of access. And like other devices, if access to the device isn’t managed, printers can also mean access to people you really don’t want on your network.

As people don’t give printers much thought, or properly understand that they are connected to the network, little is often done to limit any potential access for malicious activity. Similar to that of hardware such as computers and laptops, printers receive updates and it’s important that they are applied when available. Updates patch vulnerabilities and weaknesses that may otherwise provide access to your printer and your network. They can often be set automatically, but it is important to check that they are regularly up-to-date, as you would your desktop computer.

Another weakness of the printer, often overlooked, is the ability to store data. Many modern printers will store documents that they print, even once the print job has been completed. This means that your printer may be a silo of confidential information, that in the wrong hands could have dire consequences. Firstly, making sure your printer is up-to-date, as mentioned above, is a good way of ensuring that whatever data is stored on the device isn’t accessible. However, deleting any stored data regularly is also strongly advised.

Some may argue that this is scare-mongering for the sake of it. You might wonder who would be targeting your company and more specifically, your printer. Well, the truth is, you’re rarely targeted, if at all. Being targeted is a common misconception surrounding criminal cyber activity. Sophisticated software is used to constantly check many networks for vulnerabilities. As opposed to one person using a fishing rod, a team of people are using a trawler and one very large net!

This hit and miss approach is precisely why it is so important that business owners are aware of the risks surrounding printers on their networks. Of course, you may never fall victim to such a breach, but is it worth taking the risk? 

If you’re worried about your cybersecurity efforts and want to know where to start, South West Growth Service Partners Acronyms, have put together a list of cybersecurity New Year’s resolutions and how to keep them.