Don’t Make These Mistakes When Buying a Printer

cheap printers, duplex printers, large printers, Printers, single function, , , ,
07
Aug 2018

A printer is crucial in business, but getting the correct one is even more important. As there are so many available, though, how do you get the right one?

Almost every printer is different and the variance across the industry is immense. And, don’t forget, every organization will have a unique set of needs for their printer to meet. Choosing carefully, therefore, is the order of the day as the incorrect printer can soon affect your productivity. Many organizations, though, fail to choose carefully and, instead, make the same mistakes time and time again.

As we want you to get the right printer for your needs, we’ve put together a list to make sure you don’t make these mistakes when buying a printer.

Going Cheap

Budgets can be tight for small to medium businesses, but you should never skimp on costs when it comes to technology. A printer from the lower end of the price range may help your costs in the short term, but it’s more likely to go through toner as if it’s going out of fashion. And then there are the many, many maintenance issues associated with cheaper printers. Pay a few more dollars, though, and you’ll find that you end up with a more efficient printer and one where malfunctions are rare.

Buying a Single Function Printer

You can save valuable office space by investing in a multi-function printer rather than a machine which purely prints and does nothing else. For example, a printer which also doubles up as a scanner can allow you to save even more real estate by making electronic copies of documents rather than filing physical copies. Anything which makes your organization more efficient should never be ignored and a multi-function printer can make a huge difference.

Too Big

Professional level printers can be rather large and bulky items, so it’s vital that you have room in your organization to house it. Many businesses order up a printer and assume it will fit where they need it, but then find out it’s too big. All it takes, however, is a quick bit of research on the dimensions of the printer you’re buying and a tape measure to ensure you have the relevant space. This saves you valuable time in terms of sending an incorrect printer back and reduces any downtime in printing for your organization.

Not Picking a Duplex

A duplex printer allows you to print on both sides of a sheet of paper and requires no manual intervention to flip the paper over. This may sound a fairly minimal feature, but there are powerful benefits associated with it. Printing on both sides of paper allows you to save paper and energy, so the extra cost of a duplex printer will soon pay for itself. And, if you’ve ever tried, to print on both sides paper manually, you’ll know it puts a severe strain on your time resources and results in seeming endless amounts of wasted paper.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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The Best Practices for Securing Your Printer

Printer Security, Printers, Security, Security Threats, , ,
31
Jul 2018

A printer may seem like a fairly innocuous piece of hardware, but it’s this assumption that makes it a major security risk. Therefore, it needs securing.

In a business, it’s likely that every single printer is networked. And, if something’s networked, then it represents a way into your network. Printers have been being hacked for decades, but it’s not as common as other threats such as malware and viruses. Accordingly, the average PC user in your organization is likely to be unaware of any security risks relating to that printer in the corner of the office.

However, there are plenty of risks and you need to understand what these are and how you can secure your printer and protect your network.

What are the Security Risks Associated with Printers?

When you’re working with printers, you need to be aware of the following security risks:

  • Back Door Access: Any piece of hardware on your network presents an opportunity for hackers to get a foothold in your network; printers are no different.
  • Print Data is Stored: A significant amount of print data is stored on internal memory within the printer and this can compromise the security of confidential data.
  • Susceptible Settings: Print settings can easily be manipulated to print to different locations and alter content during transmission to the printer.
  • Unsecure Documents: Printed documents can easily sit on printer trays for hours in a busy office and this is a major security risk as anyone can access them.

As you can see, there are myriad security issues related to printers, but how do you go about solving these threats?

Making Your Printer More Secure

Thankfully, there are simple and easy to action steps you can take to make your printer more secure:

  • Always Install Updates: As with all hardware, installing updates is one of the most crucial steps to take when it comes to securing hardware. All it takes is for one update to be missed for your printer to suddenly become vulnerable to new threats. It may seem fiddly and time consuming to install security patches, but it’s a lot easier to deal with than a compromised network.
  • Use Swipe Cards to Print: The best way to ensure that the correct people are picking up the correct documents from the printer tray is to employ swipe card authorization. For example, if one person in the office sends a spreadsheet to the printer, then it will only be printed once their card is swiped at the printer. This ensures that documents will not sit on the print tray for long periods.
  • Decommission Printers Correctly: When it comes to decommissioning printers, it’s vital that internal memory and hard drives are wiped. Once wiped, they should be destroyed to maximize the security of any data stored on them.
  • Limit Access to Settings: Access to printer properties and access settings should be tightly restricted to minimize disruption to the print network. A receptionist, for example, should have no need to install new drivers or disconnect printers from the network. All they’re likely to need access to is whether something is printed in color or black and white. Only IT professionals should have access to more complex, operational settings.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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How to Avoid the Most Common IT Mistakes in Business

Backup Strategies, IT Mistakes, Printers, Tech Support, Technology Disposal, Training, , , , ,
17
Jul 2018

IT can be a complex area to tackle at the best of times, but there are certain mistakes which can be easily avoided through vigilance and understanding.

Maintaining, securing and purchasing technology for your organization requires a lot of knowledge due to the range of procedures and procedures involved. Thankfully, this knowledge is usually in place, but you would be surprised just how many silly mistakes still manage to slip through the net. And these mistakes, although seemingly minor, can sometimes have severe consequences.

To help you avoid these pitfalls, we’ve put together a guide on how to avoid the most common IT mistakes in business.

Printers are Important

Despite on-going calls for ‘paperless’ offices, the reality is that organizations still need to print. And where there’s a need to print, there’s a need for printers. However, far too many organizations fail to understand that researching a good printer is crucial. A cheap printer, for example, may seem the best way forward for a small business, but the amount of toner it wastes and the maintenance involved could soon end up costing more than you had bargained for. Therefore, thoroughly researching what the available printers can do and how well they can do it is vital.

Poor Training for Employees

Your employees need to know how to use the technology they’re working with, so regular training is key to avoiding technical mishaps and maximizing productivity. An employee who knows how to get the best out of the technology they’re working with is relatively rare in most organizations, so stay ahead of the competition by proving in-depth training and refresher manuals.

Not Sticking to Backup Strategies

A good organization is one that has a fantastic backup strategy, but a fantastic organization is one which sticks to its backup strategy. Sure, it may feel time consuming to back up your data to multiple sources and the costs involved can soon be felt by your bank balance. Nonetheless, the relief at being able to restore your data and keep your organization running is surely more preferable to your business grinding to a halt, right? And that’s why sticking to your backup strategy and ensuring that all the processes are regularly followed to the letter is important.

Not Disposing of Technology Correctly

Obsolete technology can soon become a burden on the available real estate within your organization. Disposing of said technology, then, is paramount to a functioning workspace. It’s not just as simple as chucking those old servers out with the trash though. Not only are there potentially dangerous components and chemicals contained within, there are also significant chunks of potentially sensitive data. Thorough cleaning and wiping of all data is highly recommended before you hand the technology over to a specialist firm to destroy securely and safely.

Lack of Tech Support

In a digital age where technology is advancing at a rapid pace, it makes sense to have tech support available at all times. Many organizations feel as though they can handle most IT problems without dedicated staff, but this is a dangerous step to take. It may feel cost effective to rely on a limited amount of knowledge and resources, but there are daily issues for even the smallest businesses which require an IT professional. With a reputable tech support team in place, you can ensure that all issues are dealt with quickly and correctly.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Microsoft Rushes Patch for Printers on Windows

Office IT, ,
23
Aug 2016

c04386354 Even in this so called ‘paperless’ age, almost every business still uses a printer on a daily basis, but did you know that even these can get hacked?

Yes, printers are vulnerable pieces of hardware which can allow hackers to gain access to your systems. And this recent scare was all down to a vulnerability identified in the Windows Print Spooler server. Luckily, this susceptibility was identified and Microsoft quickly released a patch to nip this matter in the bud.

However, it’s a troubling scenario given that we’re not used to our printers being used as a back door for hackers to take control of our networks, so I’ve decided to dig a little deeper into the story.

Hacking a Printer

doom_printer_hack

When a new printer is installed, the files required will be downloaded from the Windows Print Spooler server to get the printer up and running. Usually, the correct files will be downloaded and everything will go smoothly. However, Microsoft discovered a critical flaw which meant that Windows would not handle the installation correctly and this would lead to users not connecting securely to their printer.

This would leave a gap in security which would allow hackers to gain unauthorized system privileges and install their own malware files on users’ systems causing all kinds of security issues. There would also be the opportunity to carry out what’s known as a Man-in-the-Middle Attack which would allow the hackers to take control of information being transmitted by the infected PC and alter it.

Perhaps the most damaging effect of an attack like this is that printers tend to be behind firewalls, so any malicious activity would go unnoticed. What’s particularly worrying about this is that large numbers of PCs are usually connected to a printer, so the potential for infecting other PCs becomes greatly magnified.

Is Windows Secure?

Windows-10-Security

This vulnerability in Windows is particularly embarrassing for Microsoft given their high profile security hiccups recently such as a lack of WiFi security, so this latest threat doesn’t instill confidence in Microsoft’s approach to security. To make matters worse, this recently discovered flaw is an issue which affects operating systems going back to Vista which was released 10 years ago, so a huge number of PCs are at risk.

And it’s not the first time that Windows Print Spooler service has been exploited, so it raises some important questions about how Microsoft continue to monitor security vulnerabilities once they appear to have been solved.

Make Sure You’re Safe

The most important step you can take in combating security flaws such as this is to install all updates as soon as possible. It only takes a few seconds for a hacker to gain access to your systems, so it’s vital you don’t leave that install until the morning.

With vulnerabilities which are built into operating systems, of course, you can’t really put any blame on the end users, but it’s crucial that users look out for the following activity:

  • In this particular case, the ability for the hackers to set up a rogue printer on the network presented itself, so any unusual printer activity could indicate a security issue
  • Systems shutting down of their own accord and any ‘File Installation’ progress bars suddenly appearing could be evidence of malicious code being installed

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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