Responsible businesses go to great lengths to ensure the security of their data. And with good reason—a data breach can cost a company thousands of dollars (an average of $225 per record compromised, according to a study by Ponemon Institute), their hard-earned reputation, and even criminal penalties in certain industries subject to regulatory compliance. Despite their efforts to protect their data, many organizations fail to protect one vulnerability common in just about every office in America: the seemingly innocuous office printer.

Modern multifunction printers (MFPs) are equipped with internal hard drives, just like a computer. These hard drives capture and store the information from all of the documents that they process via scanning, copying, faxing, and printing. Oftentimes, this information is sensitive data that could be a liability should it fall into the wrong hands. As is the case with computers, your printers are vulnerable to attacks from hackers once they are networked. As such, it’s imperative for companies to secure these devices to mitigate the risk they pose.

Unfortunately, the majority of small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) do not consider document security to be a priority. According to a survey of IT decision makers and influencers for US companies by Keypoint Intelligence-InfoTrends, only 38 percent stated document security is a priority for their SMB. Even more disturbing, document security is less of a priority to SMBs than the ability to view documents on a smartphone (40 percent).

However, there’s no need to scuttle your office printer for the sake of document security. A trusted office technology dealer has the knowledge, solutions, and experience to secure your printing devices while educating you on printer security best practices. A Managed Print Services (MPS) program is a comprehensive offering that includes supporting the security of your printing infrastructure, taking on all of the responsibility for you in addition to a number of other impressive benefits. Finally, you can count on a trusted provider to wipe the data stored on the hard drives of your existing devices when they leave your facility, ensuring this information isn’t kept for posterity.

While it’s important for your company to be aware of the risk modern MFPs pose to the security of your documents, it’s a risk that can be managed with the help of office technology professionals. Contact us today to learn more about securing your devices to ensure the integrity of your data.