Cybersecurity is an ongoing concern and focus for businesses, which means the security landscape has been growing at an exponential rate. Businesses of all sizes often take essential security measures to protect their information, but they often forget about protecting their printers. Print devices are often overlooked when creating cybersecurity protocols, which makes them a hacker’s #1 target.
In 2022, a study found that 68% of organizations in the US and Europe experienced data loss due to unsecure printing. Multi-functional printers (MFPs) typically offer a wide array of features to keep employees connected to their other business applications. Sharp suggests three (3) steps towards making sure your printers are safe and secured:
1. Security-First, Always
It's no surprise that hackers are smarter than ever in 2023. Printer manufacturers need to stay proactive and updated with their lines of defense. Sharp recommends that password management, intrusion detection software, firmware attack prevention, and virus detection with Bitdefender are essential to keeping your information out of the hands of hackers.
2. Protect and Detect
A vital approach to preventing cyberattacks is both to protect and detect with event monitoring. For instance, detailed system logs and key event notifications, such as admin logins, password changes, firmware updates and more, can be monitored through SIEM, a Security Information and Event Management platform, which collects and analyzes information against an entire ecosystem of threat intelligence feeds. Print devices do not typically offer a direct connection to a SIEM solution. However, through a new strategic collaboration with ConnectWise that elevates security features through a managed Print Security Service, Sharp devices can now be monitored through a SIEM solution.
3. “SOC” Guardians
Cyber criminals don’t work your typical 9-5-day job, and neither should your security team. A team of cyber security experts work around the clock at the Security Operations Center (also known as the SOC). When a threat is detected, the SOC is notified to take immediate action. If a threat is flagged, the SOC will contact a business directly to provide them with clear instructions for resolution.
Sharp has a keen focus on security and collaboration with ConnectWise, which offers users exclusive print security services as an added layer of protection. To learn more about Sharp’s print security solutions, click here.
Blog content credit of Sharp’s original post, which can be found here.
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