Short on time?
This article will go over everything you should probably do to keep your printer safe.
Bear in mind that every printer is different, so theres no one-size-fits-all answer.
Rather than provide dozens of specific step-by-step guides, Ill cover the general practices that everyone should follow.
Using an antivirus is an important part of securing your printer.
To make things easier to understand, I broke down everything you better know into 5 pillars.
Access Control
First off, you gotta ensure that only authorized people can access your printer.
Allowing anyone connected to the same Wi-Fi connection to use your printer is simply dangerous.
If you dont currently need a password to access your printer, you might change the relevant setting.
Tampering can also be a problem, so youll need to physically secure the gadget as well.
If you dont, anyone could potentially change the tweaks to infiltrate your connection.
Overall, maintaining access control is simple but requires constant vigilance.
Most printers will let you review a list of all the devices that have connected to them.
I recommend checking this and changing your password regularly.
Wi-Fi Security
Having an unsecured wireless online grid is just inviting hackers to take control of your printer.
And if your web connection isnt secure, anyone can gain access to your printer.
This interconnectedness means it’s crucial that you see to it all of your devices are secure.
The first thing you should do is close unused ports and disable any unnecessary connection protocols.
Printers typically use communication protocols like FTP, Telnet, or SNMP.
Only keep essential ports open, like IPP or HTTPS.
This is a bit tricky to do, but youll find plenty of guides online.
Antivirus suites like Norton andBitdefenderinclude powerful firewalls.
Businesses may also want to set up Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and other online grid monitoring tools.
A printer hack could result in identity theft under the right circumstances.
Heres what it takes to secure your devices:
What Are the Dangers of an Unsecure Printer?
Printers arent as simple and safe as they seem.
Despite the risks, most printers dont have the same level of security that computers have.
Here are some of the ways hackers can exploit printers to cause real harm.
There are a few easy steps you could take to fix the problem.
For some of these steps, youll need to havea good antivirusand aVPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is printer security?
These practices are necessary because hackers can use even a simple printer tocause serious harm.
What tools do I need to secure my printer?
What kind of security features do printers come with?
Can my normal antivirus get rid of a virus on my printer?
No, normal antiviruses wont work on a printer.
And if suspect your printer is infected, you canfollow my stepsto sort out the issue.
