Most of us think of computers and networks as the only systems vulnerable to hackers. This attitude can be a costly mistake to make, however, and some companies have learned the hard way that unsecured copiers can give hackers a backdoor into otherwise secure systems.

Are Your Copiers Secure?

Poor document security on copiers is an ongoing issue, and businesses have reason to be concerned. Here’s what your company can do to mitigate your print-related security risks.

  1. Secure documents during transit. When information enters a print stream, it’s vulnerable to interception by hackers. The latest data encryption solutions can make data in transit unreadable. Even if someone with unscrupulous intentions intercepts your data, it will be unusable and of no value to them.
  2. Protect copier hard drives. Today’s copiers bear little resemblance to their single-function predecessors. Internal hard drives allow your copiers to store information, giving you access to powerful document management and data sharing capabilities. These features are also attractive targets to hackers, and when hard drives are unprotected, stored information can be easily accessed. Considering the documents that have passed through your copiers should be incentive enough to take steps today to address the issue of unprotected hard drives. Data overwrite functions and digital shredding are two ways to correct the problem.
  3. Exposed documents. Paper documents left in printer trays can lead to a serious security breach. It’s not uncommon for users to forget to claim documents or resend a print job when they’re not paying attention. When unclaimed documents contain sensitive information, anyone can pick them up. The result is a security breach and could put your company at risk. Implement pull printing solutions requiring users to authenticate before releasing documents to print trays.

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