Modern business equipment has radically changed how we conduct everyday business. Do you realize that copiers and multifunction printers are also one of the leading causes of data breaches?
These are the only devices on the network on which the default password is, commonly, never changed. After all, who would want to get in and copy your settings?
You might give a different answer once you realize that, quite often, these copiers keep images of all pages scanned on an internal hard drive — perfect for someone to anonymously access and steal Social Security records and sensitive business data.
Take steps to secure your MFP copier today. Change — or ask your IT support firm to change — the default passwords on all network-connected devices. Don’t forget this rule when the copier lease is up and a new one is installed! A few quick steps can save a lot of personal data breaches and a lot of security headaches down the road.
Alan Edwards, CISM, is chief information officer at Computerware, Inc., in Vienna, Virginia.
