How secure is your business printer?

Australian businesses face the increasing risk of sensitive data being exposed to the wrong parties, and the use of printers has the potential to be part of the problem.

According to Quocirca’s Printer Security Spotlight Report, almost a third (30%) of businesses struggle to protect sensitive documents from being printed, while 28% find it challenging to maintain and ensure security of print management software.

Organisations also find it difficult to understand the range and nature of threats to their print infrastructure. Unfortunately, printer security risk is increased when people are not vigilant when it comes to firmware updates.

Take a look at the biggest challenges businesses are experiencing when it comes to printer security vulnerabilities, the role firmware has to play and how to protect and secure sensitive documents by choosing the right printer for your business.

Biggest vulnerability security challenges caused by printing 

One of the biggest challenges recorded in relation to printer security was remote work. With many teams now operating on a hybrid work week and people spending less time in the office, a quarter (24%) of the businesses surveyed reported concerns about securing printing in a remote environment.

Additional challenges include maintaining/ensuring hardware security of printers / MFPs, ensuring the security of print management software platforms and tracking and monitoring print activity.

This report highlights the fact that understanding the evolving landscape of printer security and knowing how to secure a wireless printer isn’t always easy, particularly for individuals who do not have backgrounds in security. Unfortunately, this lack of understanding of network printer security best practices is putting businesses at risk. 

Improving printer security: Firmware explained 

One issue that can increase printer security risk is outdated firmware.

Your printer is a piece of hardware but it has ‘computer programming’ inside that tells the machine what to do and how to do it. This is referred to in the printing world as firmware.

Regularly updating your printer's firmware is good ‘IT hygiene’. Doing this benefits your business in two ways:

1. It helps mitigate security risk by addressing security vulnerabilities
2. It enhances overall performance

Just like the mobile phone or the desktop computer you use requires updates, the firmware within your printer is updated from time to time. This ensures your printer functions correctly and has the latest security updates installed.

The challenge with firmware and printers is that when a reminder message comes up to perform an update, people often ignore it. While they are used to updating their smartphone or other devices' operating systems, an update notification on an office printer can go ignored for months. This is usually because people are nervous about possibly breaking the printer or doing the wrong thing, and nobody is appointed to take responsibility. However, to mitigate security risk, regular updates are essential.

Note: If you are ever nervous about being asked to update a printer, Brother has an in-depth support page and help available to support you with this task. Our customer care team is happy to support you while you install an update. 

Boosting printer security and performance: Why choose Brother?

Regularly updating firmware will address printer security vulnerabilities and enhance overall performance. However, choosing a quality machine from a reputable provider will also help protect sensitive IP. 

Quality printers from Brother offer the following: 

• Digitally Signed Firmware: This guarantees the authenticity of firmware updates and helps to secure a wireless printer.

• Advanced Security: Brother Printers are equipped with security features, including:

• Runtime Intrusion Detection: Continuously monitors for unauthorised access. 
• Secure Boot: Ensures the integrity of the boot process.
• End-to-End Encryption: Secures data transmission between your device and the printer.

Which printer provides the best Printer security?

The MFC-L9670CDN Colour Laser Multi-Function Printer is an excellent example of a secure network printer. This model has built-in cloud apps to help your team share documents by directly digitising to OneDrive, Google Drive, SharePoint or Dropbox. It includes a cleverly designed user interface - users can personalise a tab for each team member for quick and easy access to frequently used features. This secure network printer also includes NFC as standard, for secure authentication and mobile printing.

Our customer care team is happy to discuss the benefits of this printer or recommend an alternative to suit your business needs. We also provide ongoing support to help ensure you are running the latest firmware and up to date with network printer security best practices that reduce printer security vulnerabilities. 

FAQs

How can I secure my printer?

To secure your office printer and mitigate security risk, update its firmware when reminders appear, set strong passwords, enable encryption and limit access to authorised users only. It also helps to use a reliable, quality printer from a provider that offers ongoing customer care. 

Can someone access my printer?

If your printer is connected to an unsecured network or the internet, unauthorised users can potentially access it. This is why it is important to update firmware regularly and seek a secure printer from a trusted provider. 

How do I check printer security permissions?

You can check printer security permissions by accessing the printer’s control panel or settings menu and reviewing user access permissions and security configurations. Not sure what to do? Contact your IT provider or reach out to Brother for more information about network printer security best practices. 

Can a printer be infected with malware?

Printers can be infected with malware, especially if they are connected to an unsecured network or receive malicious files.

To prevent your machine from printer security vulnerabilities:

• Regularly update the firmware
• Enable firewall and encryption settings
• Restrict network access to trusted devices only
• Avoid printing from suspicious or unsecured sources
• Disable remote printing when the machine is not in use.