We often see printers as an ordinary office necessity, simply there to put ink on a page and occasionally give us a minor headache with a jammed print queue.
What most businesses don’t realize is that these seemingly innocent devices are prime targets for hackers. Your multifunction printer could be the biggest security risk lurking on your network.
Multifunction Printers are Prime Targets
How often have you updated the firmware on your printer? Even more so, when was the last time you installed an “urgent security update” or thought about MFP Security?
If you’re like most, printer security is usually the last thing on your mind, but with the vast amount of private and sensitive information flowing through an office printer on any given day, it’s a critical vulnerability that can’t be overlooked.
Printers with internal hard drives pose an even greater risk than a typical network printer. If a multifunction printer with internal storage media is compromised, the attacker has instantaneous access to all previous print jobs.
Hackers take advantage of our complacency towards these devices and take control. As you can imagine, private and sensitive information that falls into the wrong hands is often used for illegal and unlawful purposes.
Attacks on Printers are Growing
As more and more hackers get their hands on printer software vulnerabilities, exploits, and malware, printer security poses a greater and greater risk to businesses each coming year.
Based on recent data collected by IT professionals, there is a growing trend in the number of printer security attacks in recent years, and an increasing number of compromised printers.
The time for waiting is over. If you haven’t taken printer security seriously thus far, the best time to start was last year – the second-best time is now.
Harden Your Printer Security Today
As you’ve just learned, Multifunction Printer Security (MFP) is no joke. You owe it to your business, company, and clients to ensure your print architecture is properly configured, without any backdoors waiting to be exploited by nefarious parties. Contact UBTI today to get started with our managed print services!