HP research shows an important security gap in printer management practices.

According to a new report from HP Wolf Security, a gap between printing security that can cause significant risk to small business owners. The report entitled “Securing Print Real Estate: Preliminary Life Cycle Access to Cyber Elasticity” can lead to vulnerability in increasingly connected business environments by emphasizing the ignorance of printer hardware and firmware security. Emphasize the importance of pre -security measures during the life cycle of the printing device based on a survey of over 800 IT and security decision makers.

Major results for small businesses

One of the amazing revelations of this report is that only 36%of IT decision makers spend an average of 3.5 hours a month to manage the security issues related to the printer. The delay in this update can expose business to countless cyber threats, leaving important data to cyber criminals.

Steve Inch, a global chief print security strategist of HP Inc., warns: “The printer is no longer harmless office fixtures and a smart and connected device that stores sensitive data. For small companies that are often operated by limited IT resources, it is particularly surprising to express printers as potential security liabilities.

Lifecycle stage and risk

This report briefly explains the four main stages of the printer life cycle that can arise a security gap.

1. Selection and on boarding suppliers: The amazing 60%of IT decision makers mentioned that if the printer security standards are defined due to the lack of cooperation between procurement, IT and security teams, the organization will be in danger. If you do not participate in the IT or security team in the supplier’s evaluation, many businesses can unknowingly bring about a device to a network that is unconsciously safe.
2. Continuous management: Small business often lacks bandwidth to manage all aspects of network security. Just 36% of the IT decision makers will increase the firmware update quickly. A company with a 3.5 -hour peaceful printer per month per device for security management may be in danger if you use an old firmware.
3. therapyThe struggle to detect and solve the threat is clear. Only 35%of IT decision makers can identify vulnerable printers based on new hardware or firmware vulnerabilities. If you do not recognize these risks, you may develop unmunting access to sensitive information. In addition, significant 70%express concerns about offline threats and signal that threats do not exist only in the digital area.
4. Disassembly and third life: 86%of IT decision makers cite data security as an obstacle to or recycling old printers safely. It is not clear if more than half of the existing method of cleaning data from the printer is actually effective. Because of this uncertainty, companies can rely on more drastic measures, such as physically destroying and increasing costs.

Actual application search

Understanding the risks related to the printer can help small business owners take decisive measures. The following are some executable insights based on the recommendations in the report.

• Team collaboration: Select and participate in the team in procurement, IT and security at the selection and on boarding stage. This collaboration can define a powerful security standard that will help the selected printer meet these standards.
• Prompt updateRapid application of firmware updates is priority. Updates can look like trivial tasks, but the risk of exploitation can be significantly lower.
• Adopt the monitoring tool: Implement a security tool designed to identify and manage vulnerabilities in real time. This pre -preventive approach can save business from a significant future cost associated with data leakage.
• Find a safe deletion function: Select a printer that provides a safe data wipe feature built in the purchase process. This feature can protect sensitive information when the printer is dismantled or delivered.

Potential tasks of small businesses

Despite the clear advantage of improving print security, small business owners can face several tasks.

• Limited resources: Many small businesses are operated with the Lean IT team, so it’s hard to concentrate on printer security.
• Cost considerationIf you invest in security technology or professional tools, you can pay a tight budget, allowing some owners to enjoy print security initiatives.
• Lack of knowledge: Not all small business owners have a strong understanding of cyber security best practices, which can lead to wrong management of printer security.

Conclusion

HP WOLF Security Report reveals the cyber security aspects that can be seen frequently: printer security. As the printer develops into a sophisticated device that can store sensitive information from simple machines, the risks associated with ignoring security can have a wide range of effects. Small business can minimize vulnerabilities and protect important data by taking a pre -prevention approach to printer security and guaranteeing collaboration between teams.

To see the entire report, visit the HP site. HP Wolf Security Study.

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