Summary
We usually think of printers as simple devices that just spit out combinations of paper and ink. However, our printers have network connections, memory, and software that can become a vulnerability. Here are three steps you can take to protect your printer.
Listen
Links
Transcript
In 2018, multiple people with internet-connected printers took to Twitter to report a problem. No, it wasn’t the temperamental issues that printers are often known for. It was the fact that these printers were spitting out pages their owners had not sent to the printer.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
In this instance, hackers accessed over 50,000 printers, printing out pages encouraging them to subscribe to a particular YouTube channel. At the end, it said, “Pro tip, your printer is exposed to the internet. Please fix that.”
Our printers aren’t dumb devices that just spit out whatever the computer says. Virtually any printer nowadays can connect to your home network, and most can receive print commands from the internet. Here are a few steps you can use to protect your home’s printer.
First, turn off features you don’t intend to use. I recently purchased a new printer and knew I could set it up to print from anywhere. However, I’ve never desired to print from my work, my car, or anywhere else, so I turned that feature off so no one could exploit it.
Second, don’t leave documents with sensitive information sitting on your printer. If you print a sensitive document, ensure that you get it right away, especially if you live with others.
And third, if your printer has a remote access console, change the password to access that console. While companies are getting better about setting up initial passwords, some still come with default passwords that can be found through a simple internet search.