A print security vulnerability could be something as ubiquitous as a user hitting "Print," forgetting, and the job (with sensitive information) ending up in the wrong hands, or as malicious as an intentional data breach.
All great stories eventually come to end.
Whether that ending is unexpected, shocking, or largely ambiguous, it provides some level of resolution. It’s in our DNA as readers and as humans to expect a beginning, middle, and end to any story. Without this simple, basic narrative structure in place, we’re left feeling anxious, restless, frustrated even.
Even worse? A story with gaping plot holes.
Print Security, at least in the minds of those charged with maintaining it, has its fair share of gaping holes in today's workplace. According to Quocirca, Before COVID-19, 33% of IT decision-makers were completely confident in their print security, compared to 21% now. Furthermore, According to Quocirca, 66 percent of IT decision-makers reported a print-related data loss in the past year. In an age when cyber security is a familiar narrative, print security remains a forgettable footnote to the greater IT security story.
A print security vulnerability could be something as ubiquitous as a user hitting "Print," forgetting, and the job (with sensitive information) ending up in the wrong hands, or as malicious as an intentional data breach. In short, a Print Management engagement is a valuable initiative because it gives you the visibility to gain back control over your print environment. It also helps your organization:
- Safeguard against breaches so you can rest at ease
- Verify user identity to make sure jobs land in the right hands
- Trace all print jobs to give you full insight into user activity
- Meet compliance requirements to keep you in line with local legislation and GDPR
So what’s your print security story? Are there gaping holes? Could your story end in a nightmare without some form of resolution?
3 Print Security Components That Will Fill Holes and Provide Resolution for Your Organization
1. The Beginning: Authentication and Access Policies
This is the step before printing occurs.
A Print Management Solution requires users to authenticate their account before accepting any print, copy, or scan jobs.
Once logged in successfully, users can have different access based on the administrator’s settings, making sure they can only do what you approve – whether that’s printing to certain devices or making color copies. This means you won’t have guests printing without your knowledge, or known users taking actions you don’t prefer.
2. The Middle: Secure Print Release
Print security measures are certainly necessary during the act of printing.
Secure Print Release is a valuable feature. It places print jobs in a holding state until the user authenticates at the printer or multi-function device (MFD) and releases the job. Login methods could be a mobile phone, pin code, swipe card, or username and password.
And with features like Find-Me Print, My Print Anywhere, Print Release, or FollowMe Printing, users don’t even need to select what printer the job goes to; they just press print, walk up to any device they like, authenticate and the job is printed.
Not only does authentication guard against potentially sensitive material sitting on the printer tray, it also helps minimize waste by holding or even deleting jobs when they’re not retrieved at the device.
3. The End: Watermarking and Audit Logs
Generally speaking, users are motivated to print responsibly when there are traceable markings on each page. Watermarking enables you to add a phrase, username, timestamp, or even include a subtle yet unique digital signature which allows you to track the document’s origin.
A Print Management solution offers a wide range of comprehensive reports that can be generated on demand, or automatically emailed to stakeholders on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. It also retains audit reports, logs, and archives of all transactions that have occurred in the system, so you can always review past print behavior or even view the exact document that was printed.
Tired of leaving print jobs behind? Concerned about security vulnerabilities that come with it? Let's discuss what Print Management can do for you. Schedule your conversation with a Datamax Print Specialist!
SOURCE: PaperCut