Did you know that over half of business owners forget to secure their printer when they implement an office security strategy? Talk about leaving the door wide open for hackers—you might as well put out a welcome mat and gift-wrap your company information for them. These kinds of hacks happen—in fact, they happen often. In a recent survey, 60 percent of businesses reported that they had suffered a breach through a networked printer. These breaches took an average of 46 days to resolve fully.
Are you one of the businesses overlooking this vital area of office security? In a day when information is a commodity, and even large brands like Target and Sony can’t seem to shake off the hackers, it’s worthwhile to get your printers protected.
Here’s Why Printers are Vulnerable
Hackers target printers for a variety of reasons, but they generally come down to these top three.
- They want your data: Once a hacker accesses your network through your printer, they’ll be able to grab data like personal employee and client information.
- They want to attack your technology: Some hackers will use the access they gain to your printer to wreak havoc, changing settings and printing random jobs, even sending faxes without your consent.
- They want to access your network: Your printer is an access point—as is any other device that’s connected to your network, which is why device security is so important.
A printer is a perfect point of entry for a savvy hacker or a disgruntled former employee. Even without sophisticated hacking, your printer could be a security risk: it’s extremely typical to leave confidential documents in a printer tray where anyone could gain access.
Make sure your printer is secured with managed IT services. Contact us to learn more.