Outstanding Writer, Master Storyteller, Insightful Content Creator

Did you know small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are under significant pressure to ensure IT systems are safe from the ever-evolving threats of cybercriminals? In fact, research from Barracuda Networks shows that “small businesses are three times more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals than larger companies.”

Staying ahead of such threats can be particularly daunting because SMBs tend to lack the resources of larger enterprises. As you work to safeguard IT infrastructure, one aspect of security that you should not overlook is securing your printer and document environment.

“Not securing your printer and document environment while securing all your other IT is like locking the door to your house and leaving the window open.”

– Matt Raab, Xerox® Director of Global Product Offerings for Workplace Solutions

After all, critical information frequently passes through printers, Matt notes, whether it is printed out or scanned and sent to other recipients.

Yet, Zia Masoom, Xerox Global Product Marketing Manager, Workplace Solutions, notes that many companies ignore this part of the infrastructure and just focus on securing servers, laptops, and routers. Printers reside on the same network and have the same challenges as PCs or servers because they have the same type of technology built into them, he says.

That means the security of your print infrastructure should be a central part of your overall cybersecurity plan, Zia advises. For more information, read Cyberattacks on Small Businesses Are Big Business.

Protection against employee mishaps

For small businesses in particular, unsecure actions by employees are often the entry point for cyberattacks, which research shows often stem from email.

From failing to promptly collect printed documents, to exposing confidential data, to opening your systems to malware, team member behavior can put your data at risk. That’s where Xerox security solutions come in.

Xerox® ConnectKey® Technology secures your printer and data at every step, including:

• Capabilities that prevent unauthorized access, cyber attacks, and malware.
• Firmware verification to ensure that printer software is protected from tampering.
• Safeguards against transmission of critical data to unauthorized parties and ensuring documents are not released to print until the right user is at the device.

In addition, Xerox® Workflow Central helps secure data and remove inefficiencies from the workplace. This cloud-based platform streamlines document centric processes and includes tools to help enhance document security and prevent disclosure of critical information. Accessible from Xerox ConnectKey-enabled multi-function printers (and also via your desktop/laptop or PC) it accelerates data protection automatically from any location, including de-risking sensitive documents via a redaction tool, encryption and password protection.