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10 Sure Fire Ways to Protect Your Printer Fleet Beyond the Firewall

February 19th, 2023 by Kevin Box

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Many organizations don’t realize how easy it is for cyber criminals to access printers on the network sitting behind the Firewall. Every printer connected to your network has an IP address, which means bad actors could potentially find the IP address and connect to the printer from outside the network. If you overlook printer security, you run the risk of that printer being hacked and the settings changed for the benefit of the hacker.

This means the hacker could access scanned documents or gain access to the Active Directory on the device and pose as anyone credentialed to use the printer. If they can find the directory and choose a user, they can get right into your network which means they bypass the Firewall and have access to all things on the network.

So, how can you stop a printer from being hacked? While no device is 100 percent impenetrable, holistically, you should increase printer security by making them part of your organization’s digital security policy and managing them like computers.

Below is a list of best practices for ensuring your printer fleet is more secure.

Printer Security Best Practices

  1. Download the latest firmware updates.

    Printer manufacturers release firmware updates when they discover vulnerabilities. These firmware updates may include fixes that resolve known security issues or could merely introduce new features that increase printer security.

  2. Utilize remote management software for printers

    Regardless of if you have a few printers or a few hundred printers, these devices need to be managed correctly. You can efficiently manage the security on a fleet of print devices by utilizing admin tools. These web-based tools make it easy to add new printers, update firmware across the fleet, and troubleshoot printer issues.

  3. Evaluate if a printer should be networked.

    Reduce printer vulnerabilities by taking printers that do not need to be networked offline.

  4. Enforce a PIN-only or badge-only policy.

    Modern business printers typically include a PIN system. With this feature enabled, users must enter a PIN at the printer to release their print job. This pull printing method, where print jobs are only released when authenticated at the printer, ensures sensitive information is not left in the printer tray. Another option is the badge system, which works in the same fashion as the PIN method but requires the user to swipe their badge at the print device instead of entering a PIN.

  5. Purchase printers with an encrypted hard disk.

    By having an encrypted hard disk on a printer, the data will be safe if anyone ever steals the disk. This will also help ensure the information on your printer stays confidential if you ever sell or toss the device.

  6. Disable outdated remote printing features.

    Often, you’ll find that older models of printers have remote printing on by default. If this is the case, you’ll want to deactivate this feature. Once disabled, you should look for a more secure option to remote printing so that your employees can securely print from their laptops, tablets, and phones.

  7. Change default usernames and passwords.

    Make sure you change the default administrator usernames and passwords on your printer to a stronger version. Many networked printers can be accessed remotely. Not changing default passwords can make the printer more vulnerable to hacks.

  8. Secure printer ports.

    Software ports are a channel for communications, be it emails, scan-to-folder, or HTTP. These ports should be locked down because open ports are an easy and well-known way into a network.

  9. Replace outdated printers.

    Older print devices are likely to be less secure than newer ones. By upgrading to the latest printer models, you’ll reap the benefits of a more secure device. When shopping for a printer for your office, stay away from consumer printers and focus your attention on business-class network printers that will have security explicitly designed for commercial use.

  10. Review your security policy.

    Make sure you include printers and other types of endpoints in your security policy.

Locking down printers can help ensure vulnerable gateways into your network are closed and help prevent potential threats from becoming real security breaches. Having a policy-based approach to securing imaging and printing devices can go a long way to adding layers of security to your infrastructure beyond the Firewall which helps make it harder for cybercriminals to penetrate your network.

If you have any questions concerning this article or would like to have one of Function4’s specialists conduct a Security Analysis on your network, reach out to me directly and I will connect you with a member of our team. I can be reached at kbox@function-4.com.

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Posted in: Cybersecurity

Function4 serves Houston, Beaumont, Paris, and the surrounding areas.