Change has become the new normal over the past few years, as the pandemic and its far-reaching repercussions have impacted nearly every industry and employee in the country. And once again, change takes center stage as companies are pivoting from fully remote work to a more permanent hybrid work model. According to a 2022 study by Gallup, 8 in 10 people are currently working hybrid, and that number is expected to double over the next few years. With this ongoing trend, company leaders must reestablish their priorities, policies, and best practices, especially when it comes to securing company devices and information.
Corporate leadership and IT teams on the frontlines of these issues now have new challenges to face, especially as hybrid work is the future of most offices. Multiple locations, unsecured networks, and unfamiliar routers are just a few of the nuances that can be a company’s worst enemy.
When setting cybersecurity strategies, companies mostly focus on securing their laptops, phones, and tablets. However, they tend to overlook one important office asset - the printer. As the printer is also a device connected to the Internet of Things, it’s crucial that companies also include the latter in their cybersecurity plans.
Before unsecured printers become company disasters, there are a few steps to consider when implementing security strategies that will protect company devices and information in this new hybrid work environment.
Assess Your Workforce's Whereabouts
For IT teams of the past, securing company information was a simpler and more streamlined process, as a large number, if not all, of the company personnel worked in one centralized area. Now, with the evolution of a distributed workforce taking over, and employees spread out in various different locations, the likelihood of a hacker or a bad actor accessing your systems is even greater. Companies are more vulnerable than ever before to cybersecurity attacks or data breaches due to endpoint devices – like printers – being exposed to connections and networks that might not be secure. And for these reasons, a company must consider finding a balance of security measures that work for any environment.
Research firm Quocirca’s 2022 Print Security Landscape Report revealed that concerns around the risks of printing have increased, and declining confidence in the ability to protect the print infrastructure against security breaches has exacerbated the situation. This is detrimental to all industries, particularly those that manage sensitive personal information such as healthcare, education, and legal. Hackers are infiltrating these systems through “Spam” emails from seemingly legitimate company email addresses, and unsecured networks accessed by remote employees. In doing so, they are disrupting business continuity and damaging company integrity.
Assess Your Fleets
It’s vital that printer software remains consistently updated with the latest and greatest security features, as outdated software is often a gateway for data breaches. If a device has reached a point where it can no longer be updated, it should be removed immediately and replaced with newer models that have security measures in place that are built to withstand any risks of cyber attackers. Oftentimes, older hardware may not have the latest security features needed for today’s environment.
Assess Your Workflow Processes
Ask yourself this question: What is your current day-to-day workflow process and is it centered around security? (If the answer is “no” or “I’m not sure” – keep reading)
There may be holes or weak spots in a company’s day-to-day workflow that can be easily fixed with the appropriate technology. For instance, companies can deploy stricter access controls to limit unnecessary exposure to sensitive information, as well as reduce the time printers are online by enabling automatic shut-off features. This may require a company to set up its own virtual private network (VPN) code so that no matter where an employee is working, the information being accessed from their company-sanctioned device is secure. Of course, companies must take care to ensure their devices have such capabilities and, if not, plan accordingly.
Prioritize Employee Education
A system is as strong as your weakest link which, oftentimes, is the employee. Human error is unavoidable, but educating employees on company security policies and best practices is a great way to be proactive in mitigating risk in the hybrid work environment.
For instance, if an employee is working in a location where others outside their company have access to the same network, they must be aware of this and take appropriate precautions when dealing with sensitive company information. Whether employees are working from home, a coffee shop, a community center, or a restaurant, the walls defending company information, and the person staffing those walls must be strong and aware. Only through this collaboration and shared knowledge of security processes and practices will vulnerabilities be lessened.
Looking Towards the Future
Here are the facts: remote work will remain in the future and security strategies within companies of all sizes when it comes to their devices – particularly printers – will increase in importance. The time is now to put actionable strategies in place before it is too late. Assess your workforce, assess your fleets and overall workflow processes, as well as investing resources into employee education to ensure that company devices are effectively used and equipped to combat data breaches, unsecured networks, and phishing scams. Device security is the future of hybrid cybersecurity and will be a deciding factor in a company’s reputational success.
