Data collection and use are growing across all industries — and so is cybercrime, a trend that is driving the need for better enterprise data management and security. While malicious actors continue to develop increasingly sophisticated ways to access sensitive data, many companies are spending more on IT budgets to develop more protective strategies. However, protecting endpoints — those devices such as production printers, desktop printers or multifunction devices, copiers, scanners, and others — often gets overlooked.
Whether you have in-house production or wide format printers for your business’s use or operate a print shop that deals with customer data on a regular basis, you must make endpoint security a priority. However, this can be difficult, particularly when data privacy regulations can vary from state to state. For production print houses that may deal with large databases, such as with direct mail campaigns, keeping track of data and keeping it secure is an essential element to encourage customer trust and loyalty.
Best Practices for Production Printer Data Security and Safety
Fortunately, getting control of your production printer’s — or any printer’s — endpoint security for better data management and protection is simple if you follow these best practices:
Implement Zero Trust Policies
Protecting customer channels and information can be achieved by using a zero-trust security framework that enables access control and management and network security across all devices and platforms. Not only do zero-trust network applications (ZTNAs) create a more secure network environment for your entire enterprise, but they also can improve user experience and bring a new level of productivity to your shop or business.
Consolidate Your Endpoint Systems
Consolidating your endpoints, in particular, your printer fleet, can provide a unified identity that allows for greater security and control across devices. When all your printers are from the same manufacturer, or even the same make and model, it can vastly simplify the process of patching, updating, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your endpoint framework. In addition, having a unified fleet allows for easier troubleshooting and a more cost-effective print infrastructure overall to help you get the greatest return on your print investment.
Consider Endpoints with Embedded Security Technologies
Some modern production printers, wide format devices, and even desktop office printers can come with embedded security technologies that assist in keeping data protected through the print lifecycle. Eleven percent of all security incidents can be traced back to issues with print infrastructure, so having these technologies on board can be an important failsafe.
Some printer manufacturers, such as Konica Minolta, put a priority on data security. For example, by equipping their print devices with hardware that features central memory safety mechanisms and software that assures print jobs are held in a queue until an authorized individual can safely retrieve them at the machine. Printers that feature remote monitoring can add additional visibility into security, allowing administrators to see suspicious behavior in real-time. Still, other devices have self-healing capabilities that detect incursions or suspicious incidents and use artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning elements to automatically investigate — and remediate — where necessary.
Blue Technologies Can Help Secure Your Print Environment
Whether you are operating a commercial printing business or you have an enterprise where you use an in-house printer fleet to keep marketing and other print needs in-house, you must keep security a priority. Hackers are always on the lookout for new ways to gain access to — and exploit — sensitive or proprietary information, and endpoints such as printers represent an open door if they are not properly protected.
At Blue Technologies, we have a world of technology to help keep your print environment protected. We partner with some of the leading names in print and imaging, including KIP, Konica Minolta, and Lexmark — manufacturers that put security as a priority in the design and creation of their print products. In addition, we have a team of print experts in-house that can help you consolidate your printer fleet, maximize printer efficiency and security, and assist you in managing security weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your print environment — or throughout your entire enterprise.
Don’t leave room for hackers to gain access to your print environment. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant and learn how our suite of tools — from printers to cybersecurity and Managed IT services — can help defend you today.
