{"id":34025,"date":"2019-04-25T19:42:53","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T02:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=34025"},"modified":"2019-04-25T19:55:15","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T02:55:15","slug":"save-your-unprotected-printers-from-dangerous-printer-pranks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2019\/04\/save-your-unprotected-printers-from-dangerous-printer-pranks\/","title":{"rendered":"Save Your Unprotected Printers from Dangerous Printer Pranks"},"content":{"rendered":"

When printers around the world began spewing silly messages<\/a> urging recipients to subscribe to a YouTube channel a few months ago, many considered the incident a joke. But while social media users laughed off the prank, trading stories and photos of their home and office equipment\u2019s absurd printouts, IT pros came to a chilling realization.<\/p>\n

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If someone can hack unprotected printers to deliver unsolicited messages, they can also gain unrestricted access to your sensitive data\u2014and an entry point to your entire network.<\/p>\n

In other words, the same vulnerabilities pranksters used to control unprotected printers<\/a> can be exploited by shadier hackers with more nefarious plans. These criminals could cost your company millions in damages and cause massive and lasting destruction across your entire IT environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe risk of causing financial damage<\/a>, in this case, is as real as it gets,\u201d says Bob Reny, EMEA CTO and Principal Engineer of security firm ForeScout, in an article for BBC News<\/em>. \u201cAnd all of this because organizations or individuals installed a connected device without really taking the time to audit the implications this has on their existing network security infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luckily, there\u2019s still plenty you can do to protect your environment from innocuous pranksters, as well as more vicious cybercriminals lurking in the shadows. Here are five ways you can start to eliminate printer vulnerabilities right now:<\/p>\n

1. Audit all connected devices<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Are you 100 percent sure every device connected to your network is configured with the proper security checks? Given the sheer number of devices entering your organization each day, that\u2019s a tough question to answer.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t performed a network device audit in a while (or at all), now is the time to do it. Using your preferred network assessment tool, check all connected devices to ensure they\u2019re set up with the proper firewall configurations. Also, if you haven\u2019t already, consider setting up a separate network for guest use. This way, you don\u2019t have to give unauthorized personnel access to your closed, secure network if they need to hop online.<\/p>\n

2. Install security patches and updates<\/strong><\/p>\n

Never put off installing software and firmware updates. While this is much easier said than done, procrastinating on updates and patches could lead to more painful headaches down the line. After all, it only takes a moment for an opportunistic hacker to find a vulnerability point and siphon your valuable data.<\/p>\n

Make sure your team knows the critical importance of staying on top of patches and updates. Reinforcing this as a habit will only benefit your business in the long run, and you won\u2019t end up in the headlines for falling prey to an exploitation of a previously patched security vulnerability.<\/p>\n

3. Follow recommended printer security protocols<\/strong><\/p>\n

As an IT pro, you know the importance of having complete visibility into the devices connected to your network. Users, however, may plug in and set up their own equipment without realizing they\u2019re exposing the organization to countless dangers. Just one or two unprotected devices could threaten your entire network.<\/p>\n

In addition to educating your workforce on the proper protocols when it comes to installing and using devices (like letting IT know immediately if you bring your own device to work), you\u2019ll want to make sure all equipment on the network is programmed with the appropriate device security standards. Printers, for example, should follow these basic security settings:<\/p>\n