Whether you’re working at home or in an office, a printer is an essential part of any working environment. While you may have considered the quality of your toner and printouts, have you thought about your printer security? The thought of getting hacked or having your data breach can be scary, so it’s vital to ensure all of your techs is secure against any threats. Printers are often overlooked in this regard compared to laptops and computers, but it’s equally as important to keep them private. Here are a few ways to step up your printer security, both within the machine and the way you print off documents.
- Turn off the printer when not in use
- Limit network printing
- Secure unused printing ports
- Dispose of documents carefully
Turn off the printer when not in use
It may seem over the top but turning off your printer when it’s not in use is the easiest way to keep it secure. This way, it can’t be accessed by any outside sources or become a security risk. Please turn it off at the mains until somebody needs to use it and remind those in the household or office to do the same when they’re finished using it. The best methods sometimes are the simplest!
Limit network printing
An excellent tool for the office, network printing allows multiple printers to connect to one machine and print wirelessly. Make sure to set or change the default password and limit who can access it rather than having an open network. This ensures that nobody outside of the business can join the web and print to your machine. If only a couple of people in the office use the printer or you’re printing from home, it may be wise to turn off network printing altogether and connect via a USB instead.
Secure unused printing ports
Printing ports are one of the main ways hackers access your printer, so you should turn off ones that you don’t need. This usually includes ports 515, 721-731, and 9100, as well as the IPP on port 631. Your printer manual should tell you how to turn these off to reduce the risk of hackers. You will usually need to leave the IPPS protocol via SSL port 443 port open.
Dispose of documents carefully
Securing your network is of high importance, but what do you do with old documents? You may be tempted to dispose of it as you would any other type of paper; however, you should be careful to ensure there is no sensitive data or details on these documents.
If there is any financial information, addresses, data, or private client information in any documents, ensure to shred them before you throw them away. You never know who’s hands they’ll get into otherwise, leading you open to the risk of identity fraud, data breaches, and hacks. Ensure to shred before recycling any document that relates to clients or has your personal information on it.
By taking the time to implement these four steps, you’re helping to keep your printer and documents secure from hackers, identity theft, and the like. Ensure your household or employees are aware of any measures you put in place.
