Despite data security becoming an increasing priority for businesses, less than 25% have adopted secure printing practices.

This is an issue that’ll only get more complex as intelligent, connected devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) become more prevalent in the enterprise, along with the introduction of new regulations and procedures, such as GDPR in May 2018.

With that in mind, it’s time to start thinking about how to secure your printing processes.

How to scale secure printing

Every printing device in your organisation could be a security breach point and risk data leakage.

To combat this, it’s vital you investigate ways to scale secure printing across your organisation by following these steps:

1. Select devices that offer the best security features, such as IPSec Encryption, Authentication and Image Overwrite. They should also be Common Criteria certified.
2. Make secure printing usage the norm by asking users to enter pin codes or use smart cards when releasing printed documentation.
3. Implement solutions that enable you to monitor the MFP fleet to ensure the settings defined in your secure printing policy remain active 24/7 on every device.

Taking into account content security

To ensure strong endpoint security, you need an equally tough perimeter surrounding it. That means taking into account the current state of your content security policies and practices.

Your MPS provider should be a key ally during this process, by helping you make sure you’ve covered all bases. The following, non-exhaustive list should be your starting point:

• Information access: who has access to information contained within printed documents and how confidential is the content?
• Device security policies: is there a policy in place for accessing and printing to network devices?
• Employee adherence: what measures are in place to ensure employees follow guidelines?
• Remediation: what happens when a device falls foul of the security policy? Is an alert system in place?
• Mobile workforce: is there a strategy in place that accounts for secure printing by mobile workers?

GDPR: the importance of information governance

In a 2015 AIIM report, 45% of respondents said a lack of Information Governance (IG) put their organisation at risk of data protection and litigation risk.

The importance of IG extends far beyond the four walls of each business, too, with increasingly security-conscious consumers wanting to know that businesses take the utmost care of their personal data.

On 25th May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will replace the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), and despite many similarities with its predecessor, there are some major differences that will impact most businesses.

To keep printing and document processes GDPR compliant, your organisation will need to:

1. Prevent sensitive data from being printed (no exceptions).
2. Ensure sensitive information held in digital format is protected from unauthorised access by people who don’t need it for a legitimate business purpose.
3. Detect potential data breaches quickly.
4. Have to hand documented processes that illustrate GDPR compliance and accountability for the above.

GDPR may be some way off, but it’s still vital for businesses to consider every operation that could present a risk, and printing is potentially an area that many will overlook.

Getting support

Research suggests that 66% of organisations have reevaluated their endpoint security and processes to plan for improved data security. Have you done the same?

Enterprise printing devices create millions of data impressions every year, and with much of that information potentially vulnerable, it’s vital not to underestimate what could be at risk if it gets into the wrong hands.

If you’re concerned about secure printing in your organisation, you should consider getting more support from your managed print services and find an MPS partner who keeps the data on your printing devices as safe as possible.