Despite growing concern among enterprise IT leaders, print security remains one of the most overlooked weaknesses in SMB cyber defenses, HP Inc’s The Workflow Wakeup report has found.
A new global study of 800 IT decision makers and 2,400 knowledge workers shows that 57% of SMBs say print security is a low priority in cybersecurity strategies.
Key findings from HP’s SMB study included that policies don’t work or are bypassed: 55% of SMBs see users trying to bypass print rules or restrictions, while 60% worry existing document processes could lead to a data or privacy issue. A further 50% lack visibility into who prints what and where, while 45% are unsure if print security meets industry compliance standards.
In addition, print security is often assumed: 66% of knowledge workers assume printers on the office network are secure, while 50% don’t think of printers as a security threat. However, 37% do worry about printing confidential information and the wrong person finding it.
Despite low prioritisation, 69% of SMBs acknowledge print security needs improvement, and 65% frequently worry about the security risks outdated systems pose. Their top five printer security concerns were:
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- Cybersecurity risks linked to connected printers
- Confidential documents being left at the printer
- Cloud vulnerabilities related to scanned documents
- Unauthorised access to print files or queues
- Misprinting, misfiling or mishandling materials.
The data also suggests these risks are addressable when organisations put the right controls in place. Of SMBs that have adopted smart printing technology, 88% say that smart printing has made their organisation more secure.
Respondents cite three key reasons:
- providing clearer visibility into printing and scanning activity across users and locations (89%)
- meeting compliance and security standards (86%) and
- enforcing smart rules and restrictions more effectively (85%).
“Printers are the security blind spot many SMBs overlook, and that’s a real risk to the Future of Work,” said Aurelio Maruggi, division president of HP Office Print Solutions. “If you can’t see who printed what, where and when, it’s hard to protect sensitive data. A single misdirected scan or uncollected print job can leak payroll data, customer records, or contract details, all without any obvious sign that something is wrong. Smart printing fixes this by building visibility, policy enforcement and audit trails into print and scan workflows.”
