Best Practices for Print Security

Are you confident that your network cannot be hacked through a printer? How can you make sure that your printers are secure? These are important questions. According to a recent QuoCirca report on print security, 61% of surveyed companies had experienced a printer-related breach in the last 12 months.

Print security is a critical component of an organization's overall cybersecurity strategy. As printers and multifunction devices process sensitive information, ensuring their security is essential to prevent data breaches and maintain regulatory compliance.  

Here are some best practices for enhancing print security in any business environment. 

• Robust Authentication Methods: Implement robust user authentication methods such as PIN codes, smart cards, or biometric verification to ensure that only authorized personnel can access your printing devices and sensitive documents. According to sources like CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), securing access through these methods is crucial.
  
• Role-Based Access Control: Set user permissions and restrict access based on roles. This will ensure that employees only access the features and documents necessary for their job functions. This will minimize the risk of unauthorized use and potential data breaches. 

• In Transit and At Rest: Encrypt data both during transmission to the printer and while stored on the device. This protects sensitive information from interception and unauthorized access, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.  

• Pull Printing: Implement secure print release solutions, such as pull printing, push printing, and follow me print, to hold print jobs in a secure queue until the user authenticates their identity at the printer. This will prevent sensitive documents from being left unattended, and ensures they are only collected by authorized individuals.  

• Patch Management: Keep printer firmware and software up to date. This is essential for closing security vulnerabilities. Regular updates and patches protect devices from new threats and ensure they function securely. (You can learn more about patch management best practices at ServerWatch and DNSstuff.) 

• Network Segmentation: Place printers on separate network segments to limit their exposure to potential threats. Use firewalls and intrusion detection systems to further protect the print environment from network-based attacks.  

• Secure Communication Protocols: Utilizing secure protocols such as SSL/TLS for data transmission between printers and other network devices ensures secure communication and data integrity. 

• Activity Monitoring: Monitor print activities continuously to better detect and respond to suspicious behavior. Maintain detailed audit logs, so you have a record of who accessed what documents and when, which will speed up forensic investigations and compliance reporting. 

• Disabling Unnecessary Features: Harden printer devices by disabling unnecessary features and services reduces the attack surface. Configure your devices to use the principle of least privilege to enhance security.  

• Physical Security: Ensure that printers are placed in secure locations, and use physical locks to prevent tampering and unauthorized access. 

• Security Awareness: Educate employees about the importance of print security. Training your staff on best practices is essential. Employees should be aware of security protocols and understand how to use secure printing methods effectively. You can visit the Center for Internet Security (CIS) to learn more about cybersecurity awareness training. 

• Regular Training: Conduct regular training sessions to keep employees updated on the latest security threats and best practices. 

We strongly recommend you implement these best practices for print security to protect sensitive information and maintain compliance with regulatory standards. By ensuring robust user authentication, data encryption, secure print release, regular updates, network security integration, continuous monitoring, device hardening, and employee education, you can create a secure print environment at your organization.  

These measures not only prevent data breaches but also ensure regulatory compliance, maintain business continuity, and enhance trust and reputation. While often overlooked, investing in print security best practices is a critical step to protect your information assets. 

We have print security experts ready to assist your efforts at hardening your devices and making your print fleet safe from cyber-attacks. Reach out to us, we’ll be happy to answer your questions.