Keeping Your Copier Protected

Identity theft is a serious thing and something that nobody wants to have happen to them. Most people fear identity theft such as a thief getting their credit card numbers, social security numbers or other kind of personal information. That is why people shred old credit cards, receipts and other personal documents. However, I doubt a lot of people think about becoming a victim of identity theft via their copier. Recent reports involving copier security have brought to light how some information that is stored on your copier's hard drive can be accessed by somebody other than yourself which could ultimately lead to identity theft. What is interesting is that while this news may be new to some, it is definitely something copier manufacturers have seen as important for a long time. If you own a copier, you need to know that it needs data safeguards just like antivirus software on your computer. So what kind of tools can help you protect the information flowing through your multifunction printer? IT specialists and users should definitely talk to their vendors in order to make sure that the security features that are already on their copier are enabled. Network authentication and authorization is a nifty tool that allows administrators to restrict access to people by verifying network usernames as well as passwords in a network directory. Encryption is also built into a lot of multifunction printers in order to make sure that the data stored on it is protected. These printers even have features that protect your information from a hard copy theft. If you are about to buy a new copier, make sure you choose a vendor that offers options for the removal of the hard drive before the printer or copier is disposed of or turned in after a lease. Another thing to consider is that new threats are created everyday so it is important to update your protection on a regular basis as well. New patches are generally available for multifunction printers and copiers and they are typically an easy download. Copiers are an important part of business so it is equally important that they are protected. You wouldn't use your computer unprotected so why use your printer unprotected? Source: SC Magazine - Protecting data on copiers

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