Secure Printing: Protecting Confidential Information in the Workplace
Shared printers often handle sensitive documents, ranging from employee salary details and medical records to confidential client data. Providing the tools for employees to handle this private information properly is the fundamental responsibility of the company.
1. Why Secure Printing is Essential
Every type of business works with confidential information that is highly valuable to identity thieves and competitors. It is your responsibility as a company to keep this information secure.
Examples of Confidential Information:
- Employee Data: Tax information, salary and insurance details, legal documentation, medical information, and termination papers.
- Customer/Client Data: Payment information, credit card numbers, home addresses, and student records.
Secure printing software is a tool that can control the transfer and production of sensitive information. It works by ensuring that the person who sent the document is the only person who can retrieve it.
2. How Secure Printing Keeps Data Safe
Secure print features available on modern multifunction devices and standard printers allow you to manually set documents to print confidentially. This ensures private documents do not get lost in the paper shuffle or picked up by unauthorized viewers.
| Secure Printing Mechanism | Action Required at the Printer | Security Benefit |
| Secure Print Software | Identifying yourself via a PIN# or an ID card swipe. | Ties the user directly to the document and ensures immediate retrieval. |
| Manual Secure Printing | Requiring a password input at the printer panel. | Prevents the document from printing until the authorized user is physically present. |
3. Personal Printer vs. Secure Printing Software
The alternative to secure printing software is placing the responsibility for security on people and departments. This is often done by providing personal printers to those who regularly handle sensitive documents, like HR employees.
The best option depends on your organization’s size, number of users, and overall printing requirements.
Option A: Personal Printer
- Best For: Smaller companies with limited print volume and fewer employees needing secure access.
- Method: Gives employees who handle sensitive information private access to a personal printer.
- Security Requirement: The printer must be located in a secure, restricted location to prevent exposing confidential documents.
- Cost: Generally more expensive due to needing multiple, decentralized devices.
Option B: Secure Printing Software (e.g., PaperCut)
- Best For: Larger organizations with a massive number of employees handling secure information.
- Method: Allows numerous employees to print to the same shared device, then holds the job until the user authenticates at the printer.
- Security Benefit: Maintains the security benefits of a personal printer while reducing the number of physical devices.
- Cost: Usually more cost-effective because the shared device can be used by more employees, not just those approved to handle confidential documents.
Conclusion
Protecting your confidential information requires choosing the best secure printing solution for your business. Secure printing helps to minimize the risk of exposing confidential information, helping keep both your employees’ and customers’ data secure.
General Service and Quote Requests
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