One of the first things you hear in discussions about printer security is to keep an eye on the hard drive. How can you do that if you don’t even know whether your machine has a hard drive at all? Today we’ll show you how to find out–and what to do with this information.
Hard Drives and Print Security
Protecting your office equipment can often feel like a full-time job. After all, you have to make sure your printers, copiers, computers, and mobile devices are safe both online and offline. Since there are so many ways to do that, the whole thing can start to feel overwhelming. Luckily, there’s an easy place to start: finding out if your printer or copier has a hard drive.
Where to Look
You’ll want to locate your device’s datasheet. Sometimes known as a spec sheet or brochure, this document comes straight from the manufacturer and includes everything you need to know about your printer or copier. You should be able to find the datasheet by starting an Internet search with the manufacturer name and machine identification.
Hard Drives vs. Memory
Remember, there’s a difference between memory and the hard drive. Random-access memory, or RAM, is (in simple terms) short-term storage, and is cleared of data every so often. Hard drives, on the other hand, store data more permanently.
Why It Matters
If your printer or copier has a hard drive, that means it’s storing your personal information. This isn’t a bad thing until you go to get rid of the machine. At that point, it’s essential to know how to wipe or destroy the hard drive so that your data never falls into the wrong hands.