Have You Secured Your Printers?

One of the lesser-known attack vectors in a small or medium-sized company are the printers. While less common, they’re still important enough to stay on top of when it comes to cybersecurity. Why? Simple!

A modern printer, from the large copiers to the smaller office units, are complex enough to be considered a standalone computer in their own right. They have firmware, an operating system, extra memory, networking capability, wireless radios… and if you’re printing confidential information, they have an interceptable electronic copy of everything as you print it.

Just like any other electronic device, there could exist a number of known exploits that hackers can use to “jump into” the device and set up shop. Besides being able to get copies of everything your company prints, many of the newer printers are sophisticated enough that their OS can be modified and allow an intruder to launch new attacks over your network from the printer, itself. Attacks that can be tooled for breaking into your Windows workstations or servers. And we all know where that will eventually lead to!

So what do you do? Well, one of the simplest things that can be done is to check in with the printer manufacturer’s support website periodically. When they become aware of new exploits, many of these companies will release patched firmware for the printers. Download and install the latest firmware and drivers to help keep your printers secure.

There’s a number of other applicable security facets that are beyond the scope of this blog, but if you’re needing additional help getting your business secured against peripheral intrusion, click to Call or Email us today to schedule a meeting.