PRINT SECURITY
such, it is crucial for organisations to work with vendors that prioritise security from the ground up, ensuring it is implemented at every stage of the printing process. “Businesses should aim for services that offer a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to security, covering devices, software, networks and cloud-based services. Many lean on third-party vendors that specialise in secure information management, to help ensure that sensitive documents are protected throughout their lifecycle, from storage and transmission to printing and disposal. “Leveraging external expertise can help strengthen organisational print security measures, promote a holistic approach to print security and ensure a culture of secure practices is in place. In doing so, businesses can mitigate cyberattacks by safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of their printed materials, particularly when using remote end devices.” Proactive print security Rob Smith, business development manager, Digital Offerings, Xerox EMEA Channel Software & Services, agrees that external expertise can help. “In most cases, when we discuss security in our industry, the typical starting point is to consider print management (PM) solutions and how we can control printing activity,” he says. “But this is a partial solution, and many other areas, potentially posing a higher risk, cannot be resolved with a PM solution. “PM solutions will help to monitor user print activity, but they are not designed to prevent ransomware attackers from directly gaining access to the network via the various network ports on a standard MFD. Nor do they allow us to track who a document is shared with or set an expiry date for how long that document remains available. “Through Xerox’s exclusive range of technology, tools and services, Xerox partners can provide proactive print security audit services across all devices, users and documents. The process starts by helping the customer create a unique policy for how each technology is configured and managed, followed by how print and document sharing is facilitated and reported. Once the policy is applied, through our tools, the partner
can monitor all areas and receive immediate notification of any breach of the policy, which then expedites rectifying the breach in accordance with the policy.” Multi-layered solutions Deyon Antoine, product marketing manager at Toshiba Tec, adds that buyers should consider multi-layered print security solutions. “The hybrid work environment has expanded the exploitable attack surface, and multiple layers of security are required to protect it from external and internal threats,” he says. “Implementing secure print solutions is an easy way to ensure neither network data nor printed documents fall into the wrong hands.” Deyon adds that some of the advantages of this are: l Provides protection from an attack that comes through email attachments, files, adware, links, apps and more l DNS-level security safeguards against threats arising at the network level l Layered security can also protect IT systems from network-level threats and data breaches l Data encryption provides security of information across a network l Access security can provide security against unauthorised device access, print release via card authentication or biometrics l Anti-malware protects against malicious scripts being run on the device l Device security encrypts data on the machine and prevents access to hard drive data. But there are some challenges that can be encountered with this. “Securing a diverse printer fleet that may include multiple brands, legacy devices and a patchwork of software and drivers can be challenging,” he says. “The risk is exacerbated in today’s distributed hybrid work environments, where MFPs are shared among more users, sometimes in settings that involve more than one company or are away from standard controllable locations, such as in an employee’s home. “A multi-vendor environment may not incorporate consistent security controls, and a fragmented approach to cloud printing may create further security risks around access and authentication.”
Rob Smith, business development manager, Digital Offerings
www.xerox.co.uk
“
PM solutions
will help to monitor user print activity, but they are not designed to prevent ransomware attackers from directly gaining access to the network...
”
Deyon Antoine, product marketing manager
toshibatec.co.uk
CONTINUED
printinthechannel.co.uk
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