The need for security envelopes every area of a business and that includes the printers. If you have ever worried about document security in your law firm, don’t forget that the printers use data streams just like the network’s computers do. That makes the printer fleet one of the main places that need attention to keep them secure.
Locking the Printer
One of the ways that document management makes printed documents more secure is that it utilizes the locking feature of modern printers. This allows a worker to send a document to the printer but to leave those pages inside the printer until later when they can be picked up. This is a helpful way to keep others in the office from seeing documents that they don’t need to. When it comes to printing, it isn’t just strangers in the office that can steal data- employees can take or photograph printouts and have access to private data.
Encryption
Most devices now use end-to-end encryption, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s now used on printers. Just like the data streams from one computer or network to another, printers have data streams going to and from them. It is possible to hack those data streams and to steal all of the data those pages contain. As a part of a digital document management system, the data stream should be one that is fully encrypted to keep it protected from end to end. When upgrading your document management system, be sure to check your printers to ensure that they use this encryption.
Cutting Down on Printing
Printing a document doesn’t have to be a risky proposition with the right precautions, but not printing the data at all is even safer. With digital document management systems, you may not have to print many documents at all. Instead, new documents are filed digitally and kept stored in the cloud. This keeps those hard copies from being left around the office for others to see.
