Why It’s Important to Secure Your Network Printing and How ACME Can Help

What many people don’t know is that you can be hacked through your printer. One would think because there is no visible connection to your network, that your printer or MFP wouldn’t be a security threat, but you’d be wrong! Your printer or MFP is just like a computer. They have an internet connection and store data; therefore, they are vulnerable to attacks just the same. Anything you’ve printed, scanned, or copied can be accessible to hackers just like on your desktop.

So, what are the security threats your printing imposes? The first threat is that someone who isn’t authorized to your network accesses your printing data. A hacker can go into your printer and access all your documents without you giving them permission or ever even knowing. Another threat from them accessing your printing network is that they could go in and change your printer’s configurations and have your print jobs sent somewhere else. On top of changing your configuration settings, they could also replace your printing content, change it, or even delete it from your system. The threats don’t just stop with live functioning printers either, decommissioned ones pose the same threats. If a hacker were to gain access to one of your decommissioned printers, they could access all the printing data, file systems, and hard drives from memory to get everything they want from that decommissioned printer. Once the printer is compromised there are even more of a threat too. A printer that has already been hacked could be used to gain access to and start attacking other applications you have, carry out malicious code or even threaten all your other systems. The last section of printing that poses a threat is cloud printing. By printing through the cloud, it imposes risks from middlemen or as far as someone who is trying to gain access to your enterprises network through your cloud printing channels.

How can ACME help protect you from these threats? ACME backed by Kyocera follows a three-section approach that will make sure your data your devices store is kept safe. The three-section approach is Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. Confidentiality means that your only authorizing users of the specific staff for the file to access the files they need. By doing this you will reduce your potential ability to be hacked, since the number of users able to access these files is dramatically decreased. As for Integrity, this means to have your files protected against any unwanted changes to your data or documents by a hostile third party. Through this integrity section you can always be rest-assured your files are accurate and correct. As for the last section Availability, this means that although you are limiting access to the documents, those who still have access can still access them whenever they are required to without struggle. ACME backed by Kyocera, can ensure this by using device-level protection, authentication, software, and SaaS. In today’s day and age, it is essential that every device is protected from malware. By using data encryption ACME can ease your mind that all your files are safe and kept under lock and key, therefore reducing any threats you have from data breaches.

At ACME we are here to make sure you know your files are safe. That is why we backed are self with the best there is to offer in Kyocera. They have been identified as a “Major Player in print and document security” by IDC. Our team at ACME backed by the Kyocera team is the complete package and then some when it comes to printing security and all your IT security needs. If you want us to secure your printing and/or your network, have any questions or want to schedule a free consultation, call us today at (716)372-1325, visit our website, or follow and message us on LinkedIn/Facebook!