Print Infrastructure Now a Critical Cybersecurity Consideration

For years, cybersecurity focused primarily on networks, servers, and endpoints. However, Canon Europe’s Quentyn Taylor emphasizes that print infrastructure is increasingly becoming a critical vulnerability within that chain. Failure to secure printers can compromise the security of the entire system.

As modern workplaces rapidly digitize, employees access data from various locations, increasing the complexity of data visibility and expanding potential risks. Companies often prioritize network security, frequently overlooking print infrastructure. Last year, over 50% of businesses reported data loss originating from printers.

Attackers can exploit a single weak point to infiltrate an entire system, and printers frequently provide that entry point. Integrated solutions combining hardware and software are now essential. This allows IT teams to make systems more visible and manageable.

Printers are central to an organization’s information flow and, like any internet-connected device, they represent a potential target. Research indicates that approximately one-third of companies have not yet adopted a “zero trust” architecture, highlighting the vulnerability of print infrastructure. Printers act as a bridge between physical and digital environments, making them ideal for attackers.

Three steps businesses can take to strengthen print security:

Restrict printer usage to authorized personnel through card-based access verification.
Enhance authentication by correlating print session logs with location data.
Continuously monitor print infrastructure using AI-powered tracking tools.

AI-powered security significantly improves visibility, a major challenge for organizations. With data freely flowing across networks, detecting threats is difficult. AI analyzes all activity within the print network, proactively identifying risks. This reduces the burden on security teams and automatically optimizes system configurations, enhancing both environmental and digital security.

Security is no longer solely about building walls; every device must be a component of that structure. Print systems now expand a company’s defense line through multi-factor authentication and integrated data management. Strengthening print security complements digital defenses and is increasingly a necessity, as cybersecurity begins with the printer.