We can’t tell you how many companies think they have a secure workflow. But the fact is, 43% of small to medium businesses still succumb to cyber attacks, and in many cases, it’s because large security gaps still exist. And one area that is still left wide open for cyberthieves is the printing process.
Yes, printers can get hacked. But ironically, most business owners don’t have a plan for a secure print workflow. Think about it. A lot of sensitive data and intellectual property runs through your print network. Do you really want it falling into the wrong hands? But don’t panic. With a few extra steps, you can seal any potential security gaps…
How to Keep Your Print Network Safe
So, who has the time to follow around every employee, track every printed document or remind staff to collect print jobs at the machine? Most employers would say: not a chance.
But you can’t ignore the threats to your business, that grow exponentially with every new virus, ransomware attack or data breach. Believe us, hackers are constantly evolving their game to gain better and deeper access to your IT systems. And your print network is just as vulnerable as your IT systems.
The best defense is prevention and that’s why cybersecurity should be built into your general workflow. So let’s look at your printing process and how to create a more secure environment.
Plan Your Print Workflow
We’re sure you’ve seen these practices at the office. Forgotten print jobs left at the machine, documents sent to the wrong printer or sensitive documents left near the machines unattended. It happens in every workplace.
But employers who create an established, secure print workflow will benefit from a lower risk of data (or document) theft.
There should be rules in place that cover every step of the print journey, from the time someone hits “print”, to the time they collect the document.
There should also be a similar process in place for handling scanned documents, and your workflow design should also cover some basic points, such as document tracking and auditing – how will you know who has authorization to print which documents? Will you have a list?
Of course, you probably don’t have time to track every printed document. There is a way to automate that process, to some degree, which we’ll talk about a bit later.
But for now, here are some things every secure print workflow should address…
Authentication and Access
You don’t want just anyone to be able to access and print your documents. You also don’t want print jobs lying around, unattended, for anyone to see. The best way to prevent vital information from falling into the wrong hands is to require stricter authentication standards.
Enforce password requirements for printing. Simple passwords like “1234” or “guest” are not good enough and can be easily guessed. Instead, complex passwords that only employees would know are recommended, that require:
- A minimum of 8-12 characters
- Contains at least 1 lowercase letter
- Contains at least 1 UPPERCASE letter
- Contains at least 1 number (0-9)
- Contains at least 1 special character ($, *, #, @)
Even stronger is two-factor authentication, where an employee must enter both a password and a secondary piece of evidence in order to print a document, such as a fob, badge number, phone number, PIN, or fingerprint. This is a fundamental requirement to secure your print network against unauthorized users.
Address Unattended Print Jobs
We bet you could walk into almost any office and find old, printed documents left at the machine. This is a big security risk. They could contain confidential information.
Your print workflow should address confidential documents and what happens to them. Who is authorized to print them out? What is the process for collecting them at the printer and how can you track when something was printed?
Some multi-function printers have a helpful function to reduce unattended print jobs. Secure Print Release holds documents in a secure queue and begins printing only after the user enters some form of authentication at the printer. This reduces the risk of sensitive documents sitting unattended because it requires users to be physically present.
Make Your Print Process More Automated
There are ways to make print security more seamless and automatic, besides training your employees to use an established print process.
Sophisticated printers have solutions that allow you to control part of the print workflow and better monitor printer use.
Instead of routing all sensitive documents through one designated printer (which could cause quite a backlog), some printers feature Find-Me Printing. This is a roaming print solution that sets up a single print queue for all users. Individual print jobs can then be “pulled” to any printer where the user can authenticate. That way, you’re guaranteed that your sensitive documents are only in the hands of specific, authorized users.
And remember that we hinted at another way to track and audit document printing, without running around the office checking every employee? A Document Management System (DMS) contains software that stores, tracks, and manages electronic documents and scanned images, whether they are routed through a networked printer, copier, or scanner.
It’s like a giant automated filing cabinet that logs when documents are viewed, when they were printed, and by what user and machine, and whether a version of that document was changed in any way. It can even prevent unauthorized persons from viewing and/or printing a document.
What Can Employers Do To Encourage Compliance?
It’s all well and good to design and implement a secure workflow. But how do you get your employees on board with it, especially if they’ve become used to having free rein when it comes to how they print office documents?
Creating a security culture doesn’t happen overnight. It takes education, reinforcement, and clear policies and guidelines that employees can follow.
Provide initial security training to all new team members, and make sure to reinforce those practices with ongoing training for all personnel.
Sometimes it even helps to create security “checklists” for employees, at least until these cybersecurity practices become second-nature. Even then, you might want to hold monthly meetings on best security practices, to refresh your team on the do’s and don’ts of safe tech use.
Also, remember to perform regular security assessments. And in those assessments, you should always include your print workflow, which is something that only 29% of businesses do.
A Recipe For Cybersecurity Success
To gain the full benefits of a secure print infrastructure you must pair it with a secure workflow.
Of course, this workflow needs to be designed for your organization and its individual needs. What makes sense will depend on the size and complexity of your print network. By following some of the above recommendations, you can lock down any security gaps, and ensure that your private information remains private, so that hackers won’t find your print systems an easy target.
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