MFP SECURITY
Keep it safe With the threats from cybercriminals continually rising, businesses, including SMBs, must remain vigilant as they can come through any networked device – including MFPs. Resellers can help ensure customers are as protected as possible.
management solution is a must for any shared environment.” Rick Dove, pre-sales technical specialist, Epson UK, notes that MFPs are often underestimated in terms of security. “But they’re essentially networked computers with storage, processing power and connectivity which makes them an appealing target. Some even run on the Android operating system, which opens the door further since attackers can leverage familiar programming languages and tools. “Printer manufacturers are quick to issue firmware updates to patch vulnerabilities, but problems arise when devices are left running outdated software or are poorly configured. In these cases, an MFP can become a convenient gateway for cybercriminals to infiltrate the wider network, steal sensitive data or stage a larger attack.” Security available This means security should be a priority for SMBs, although as Gary Organ, head of device technology sales UK at Fujifilm, emphasises, security isn’t just putting the best and latest versions of technology in place to protect devices. “It’s also about the layers of complexity cybercriminals have to go through to beat the system,” he says. “The biggest threat to most MFPs is still the fact there are no or few security features enabled on the device. By adding basic features to a device, you are mitigating your risk more than if you had no technology or processes in place. “The key is to look at the lifecycle of documents produced as well as the
This year has seen multiple headline news stories about major businesses being hit by cyberattacks. But the threat to all sizes of business is rising too, with cybercriminals targeting any weak point in a business’ network – including multifunctional printers (MFPs) – something resellers and their SMB customers need to be aware of. Trevor Maloney, product marketing manager – Kyocera Document Solutions UK, says networked MFPs can pose a significant security risk. “Especially to those businesses where limited IT resources mean printer security often gets overlooked,” he says. “As network endpoints, unsecured MFPs can unwittingly give hackers access to the network, allowing them to intercept or access sensitive print data or even deploy malware. “Uncollected printed documents can still lead to data leaks or confidential information getting into the wrong hands, which is why devices with secure print onboard as default or a print
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Printer manufacturers are quick to issue firmware
updates to patch vulnerabilities, but problems arise when devices are left running outdated software or are poorly configured.
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