Consumer-Grade Printers Pose a Security Risk to My Network?

If you have a consumer-grade office printer, you should understand that they do not have the same level of security that a commercial-grade copier will have. A malicious hacker may use this type of system to prey on unwitting business owners. With this system of access, they can view the documents stored on the hard drive of your printer, which can become a serious data breach if you have confidential files that have been scanned on it.

In a famous CBS news feature, the security risks of copiers were outlined about how they scan and store these sensitive files to the hard drive. Medical companies, police institutions and law firms all have scanned sensitive information to a copier. A consumer-grade desktop printer will not have the features or the software to help you erase sensitive information on the hard drive. In addition, connecting to a wireless Internet connection will give hackers unlimited access to your network should they figure out how to get through your printer’s IP address. The security features will often not be as high because these printers do not support encrypted connections. What is the solution? Instead, use a commercial-class copier that requires passwords for login and connecting to your wireless network. A consumer-class printer is not worth the trouble.