Critical company information passes through all types of devices, including PCs, mobile devices, and your printers and copiers, every day. Company information might be stored on these printers and multifunction printers (MFPs) without your knowledge. Vulnerability extends to devices that sit on the periphery of your network—they, too, are gateways for hackers.

Security is something you should never take lightly and always be trying to bolster. For instance, there could be an MFP in a remote area of an office that nobody bothers to look at, let alone use, yet it’s become an easy target to attack. Or maybe you have an aging single-function printer that has proprietary data stored on the hard drive, which could be exploited by one of your own employees if you’re not paying attention.

Can you be more vigilant and ensure that your devices are properly protected? Printers and MFPs offer plenty of standard features for you to take advantage of, along with a bevy of options that your service provider can help deliver. Here are some of the basics of device security:

Authentication

Specifically with copier-based MFPs but also with printer-centric technology, administrators can enable PIN codes to force users to enter their passcode before using a device. Typically, the more robust a piece of hardware, the more forms of authentication you’ll see. To further enhance security, optional methods such as ID cards or biometrics can be purchased.

Permissions

While more information is stored on your PCs’ hard drive, in many cases there’s still plenty of data living on the hard drive of your document imaging devices. Many brands allow administrators to control access to stored information through role-based policies—and oftentimes you can limit access to the hard drive as well as ensure the integrity through encryption.

Secure Printing

This feature, which is available standard on many devices, also has properties in document security. Because users have to enter a password to release the job at the device, there’s an extra layer of device security. The next step in this path is the optional secure pull printing, which can deliver convenience to your employees as they can now pull their print job from any device in the network that has this solution.

With just a little research and know-how, minor changes can deliver an immense impact. Keen attention must be kept to all areas within your business for potential gaps, awareness of business information, and document and network security. Your business technology provider can help you determine the best options for your needs.