In 2023, hackers breached an organization through compromised devices, resulting in a $30 million class-action settlement. Your printers might be the weakest link in your cybersecurity chain – and hackers know it. That’s why they’re often used as entry points for data breaches.
As cyber threats become more sophisticated, businesses can no longer afford to overlook printers. These devices are operationally critical, fully networked endpoints that manage, store and transmit sensitive data. Integrating them into your overall security strategy is essential.
With enterprise-grade printer security software, you can protect your business from both internal vulnerabilities and external threats. Discover why printer security is essential and learn best practices to enhance your printer cybersecurity efforts.
Why Enterprise Printer Security Matters
When printer security isn’t prioritized, businesses open themselves up to serious risks:
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The average cost of a data breach exceeds $950,000 USD.
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Regardless of the source, an average data breach takes nearly 277 days to fully contain.
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Data breaches can expose critical information, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), patient health records, payment details and business documentation.
Enterprise-grade printer management enables you to proactively manage, monitor and secure your mobile and industrial printers. With centralized control, you can minimize printer downtime, lower total cost of ownership and close security gaps that put your business at risk.
If Printers Are So Important, Why Are They Overlooked?
Stationary, remotely located printers often fall victim to the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.
Printer downtime for updates impacts productivity, so businesses stay online and hope a data breach doesn’t happen.
Navigating one printer is time-consuming, let alone many printers at different locations.
Packing and shipping printers to IT is costly, which deters businesses from implementing security standards.
Remotely located printers need physical intervention for certification and firmware updates.
Needing different printers means juggling different manufacturer tools, updates methods and capabilities.
Best Practices for Enterprise Printer Security
Complete Regular Firmware Updates
Outdated firmware is a common vulnerability. Keep your printers up to date with the latest security patches and features to reduce breach risks, meet compliance standards and ensure reliable printer performance.
Enforce Password Management
Without proper protection, printers connected to wired or wireless networks are the perfect targets for hackers. Many printers still use the manufacturer’s default password. Boost your defenses by enforcing strong password policies to prevent authorized access.
Automate Security Configurations
Manual configuration is time-consuming and error prone. Automate security updates and schedule them at times that best suit your operations – whether early morning or during lunch – to maintain both security and productivity.
Keep Network Certificates Updated
Outdated printer certificates leave your network exposed. Regularly verify and update certificates to ensure your printers meet the latest security standards, block known threats, support secure protocols and reduce the risk of costly data breaches.
How SOTI Connect Simplifies Printer Security
Fast Printer Deployment
Manual printer staging can cost up to $120 USD per device, which adds up quickly with tens or hundreds of printers. SOTI Connect estimates a reduction to just $50 USD by automating set up, saving time and lowering your operational costs!
Effective Mobile Printer Management
Just because a printer is deployed and printing doesn’t mean it’s working properly. In fact, 51% of all help desk calls are printer-related. SOTI Connect minimizes printer downtime, supports a wide range of mobile and industrial printers and gives IT full visibility into device performance.
Keeping Your Printers Secure
Only 2% of organizations are considered fully secure and 56% of enterprises don’t include printers in their security strategy altogether. That leaves sensitive business and customer details at risk for cyberattacks.
The trend of poor printer security is starting to shift, as more organizations have begun to enforce proper security policies. One company, for example, turned to SOTI for help with regularly updating and rotating Wi-Fi certificates. Without an automated system and lacking the resources to manage updates manually, they needed a streamlined solution to stay secure and maintain compliance.
SOTI Connect helps IT Admins remotely monitor and update printers, protecting your organization against threats. It also identifies and updates outdated firmware, enforces password policies and schedules security configurations at your preferred time.
Don’t Let Printers Be Your Weakest Link
Enterprises are ultimately responsible for ensuring their printer infrastructure is configured, updated and secured. As threats evolve, so must your defenses.
With SOTI Connect, printers are no longer an afterthought. They become a secure, well-managed part of your network. Elevate how you secure your mobile and industrial printers with real-time insights and data about the health and status of your printers.
To learn more about enhancing printer cybersecurity with SOTI Connect, reach out to us or join us at SOTI SYNC 25! Our partner and user conference entails four action-packed days, filled with valuable insights, expert-led sessions and hands-on training. Explore the latest innovations of SOTI Connect and other SOTI products! To learn more or purchase your conference passes, visit our website.
