Quocirca White Paper Finds Print Related Data Leaks Affect 63% of Businesses

A white paper published by research and analyst company Quocirca points out that printers are increasingly becoming a security hole for leaking sensitive company or client information. Many businesses leave themselves exposed to potential data breaches, both policy and device-related.

The report reveals that 63% of businesses surveyed experience one or more print-related data breaches, and only 22% of businesses have implemented secure printing plans. Further, 66% of financial services had at least one print-related security breach, but only 16% had more than one. In contrast, the public sector, where 90% of organizations had at least one breach, 35% experienced more than one incident.

One major solution to this problem—secure printing/pull printing—   ensures that documents are only released upon user authentication, using a PIN code, smart card or biometric fingerprint recognition. It also reduces waste by eliminating unclaimed printed documents and provides printing for mobile users, enabling print jobs to be released at any MFP across the network.

Quocirca notes that the top three reasons for print security not being adopted were low priority (92%), unawareness of benefits (71%) and lack of a print security strategy (65%). Many businesses are still unaware about the security risks that MFPs have, and what solutions are available to avoid such risks.

Many organizations are streamlining workflows associated with paper-based documents, for efficiency, legal or environmental reasons. The networked MFP is playing a greater role in helping them achieve their document-related goals.

A multi-pronged strategy is always encouraged. The white paper’s authors conclude that, “An organization’s information security strategy can only be as strong as its weakest link and, given the continued reliance on printing amongst many businesses, print security is no longer something they can choose to ignore.”