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How To Deal With The Security Risks Posed By Printers In The Office

Almost every office that is worth any respect has a printer. It is essential for producing the much-needed hard copies of important information that is stored in office computers. However, very few people while coming up with a security strategy for their office network ever stop to think that their printers may also pose a security threat.

What threat?

So you know about the dangers of hackers getting into your computer network and the risks they pose to your company, but your printer, really?

Computer security old school

The fact is that your printer can pose a security threat to the organization in many ways. Some of them are quite obvious, such as the possibility of an employee sending some highly sensitive information to be printed out, and then not picking it up immediately, leaving it there for any curious person to see.

Some other threats do not really pose that much of a security risk to the organization per se, but they are a nuisance and can be costly to the organization. Take, for instance, someone taking advantage of the wireless connection in your office to spend spam and other related material to your printer, to print it out, using your ink and paper in the process!

One threat that you do not think about as well, and which could possibly cause your organization the most harm is the fact that your printer stores the information it prints on its hard disk. If a hacker were somehow able to access this, then they would have access to all the business information that was printed out by the printer.

Another scary thing to contemplate is the fact that most printers nowadays have a wireless network connection. If a hacker could somehow get himself or herself connected, they could intercept the messages being sent to the printer.

How to keep your company safe

So now that you understand that you need to put security measures in place with your printer just as much as you need to do so with your computer, how do you go about doing it?

The security measures you put in place will depend on the kind of threats that you are exposed to. If you have a wireless network for your printer for example, avoid interception of print jobs sent to your printer by securing it with WPA2.

You can also reduce the risk of unwanted information being sent to your printer by setting up permission controls. Sure, this may be inconveniencing for the workers, but weighing it against the alternative, which is losing plenty of ink and paper, and having to deal with offensive messages, it just might be the better option.

In addition, just as it is with computers, your printer will be much better protected if you keep it up to date with the latest software as well. Software updates are usually intended to cover up patches that the developers have noticed in the code that cause the software not to run as efficiently as it ought. Covering up these patches by updating your software especially where they had to do with security lapses will make your printer much more secure.

The facts that print jobs are usually stored on the printer’s hard disk pose one of the greatest risks to your organization. Make your printer more secure by selecting the option of having the print jobs saved on the printer’s RAM only if possible, so that the information is erased whenever the printer is switched off.

If you are not able to do this with your printer, you can still secure your information by ensuring it is well encrypted with a good encryption method. Disable the “reprint” function on your printer as well to avoid people reprinting sensitive information. To make sure that your employees do not send print jobs to the printer then leave them sitting there, go for a printer that will require them to manually enter a password or put in their ID before it can print out the work, to ensure that the person is actually there when the work is produced.

Do not allow your company to remain at risk, secure your printer today!

 

Byline

Chad is an IT consultant whose experience in the field has taught him there’s more to printers and printer cartridges than most others would think!

What is an answering service?

If you call a doctor’s office, plumbing company, or property management firm after hours and reach a live person (instead of a machine or automated system), chances are you will be speaking with an answering service. Utilized by these businesses and countless others, answering services are companies that handle telephone calls on behalf of other organizations.

Companies that utilize an answering service are typically looking for a live telephone presence without the cost of hiring additional staff. Take the plumbing company for example. If they were to hire someone to take calls after hours, they would be paying an hourly wage to someone who may only work a few minutes per night. By using an answering service instead, they could ensure there is always someone available to pick up the phone but only pay them when they’re used.

Most answering services customize their services to meet the needs of their customers, which is why you often don’t know you are speaking to one. Their objective is to sound as though they are part of the business you’re calling. They have information about the company’s products and services, office hours, pricing, and other details that callers are looking for.

Curious whether a business uses an answering service? Call them late at night and see if someone picks up!

About the author:

Melanie Cartwell is a business blogger currently working for CMS, a nationwide provider of telephone answering services and call center solutions. Learn more at http://www.continentalmessage.com.

Why Creative Firms Need Flexible Office Space

In one sense, a business is defined by its premises. Even if a single client or customer never even visits the premises, it’s still a reflection on your company. Great offices breed employee esteem, productivity and nurture confidence. It’s key, therefore, that your premises are not only appropriate, but leave room in which to grow.This is especially true when we’re talking about creative firms. Office space doesn’t only have to mean working space, and it can also be space in which to create, brain storm and solve problems. There are lots of businesses that are founded on one form of creativity or another, whether it’s a architectural studio or an advertising firm.

Often, these kinds of businesses will need to work closely with their clients. Does your current space accommodate this? Do you suffer from lack of flexible space, and are you tied down to a lengthy contract in a small office?

Additional space is easily accessible these days, and many of it offered on a temporary basis. This extra space can be studio space, that’s reserved for one off projects and working closely and creativity with your clients. With this in mind, there are offices to rent for every purpose, business and business aim.

Recently, there has been a “levelling of the playing field” when it comes to office space to hire, and online it’s now easier than ever to compare office space for rent.

Bio: This guest blog post is written by Webmaster of officespacestorent.co.uk, offering Office space and offices to rent services!

How to find good office space to rent

What do we mean when we say that restrictive leases are bad business. Well essentially we’re saying that they’re bad for business, as well as being “bad business” in their own right. But why might they be bad for your business specifically, and what do we mean by a restrictive lease?Essentially, a lease that is restricted is one that ties you down to a lengthy period, such as a permanent contract. A long term contract is essentially condemning your business to the same place for many years to come, and doesn’t reflect the moveable nature of modern business.

These lengthy contracts can be expensive, and don’t represent the changeable nature of property prices. You could easily be overpaying for your office spaces, as the cost renting falls around your feet. Instead, surely it makes sense to choose temporary contracts, which are more likely to represent property prices as are they are now.

There are other advantages too. What if your business needs to change? This is a very pertinent question, and your business is likely to change and evolve, preferably the sooner the better. This could mean you outgrow your current premises, and need additional space or a brand new space altogether.

Of course, the converse might be true. And your business might need to downsize, due to some unforeseen circumstance. Whichever way you cut it up, when you need office space to rent, you should look at offices to let that don’t demand a lengthy or restrictive agreement.

This guest blog post is written by Webmaster of compareofficespace.co.uk, offering Office space to rent and offices to let services!

 

What Materials Can Be Shredded Professionally?

In this day and age there is more value being put on confidential and secure documents. The reason for this is that the threats to this kind of information have increased. Personal data is hard currency to some criminal enterprises, and data theft of all kinds is on the rise.

  • If your business deals with sensitive information then it needs to have a strategy in place for dealing with data in a conscientious way. This could mean, in the final analysis, destroying data so that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.There are essentially two kinds of professional secure shredding, on site and off site. With on site shredding the shredding company comes to your door and can shred your confidential documents “in situ.” With off site shredding your confidential materials are collected from your premises and destroyed “off site.”

    A wide range of materials can be destroyed this way. Medical documents, invoices, personnel files, supplier lists etc can all be destroyed on site. It’s clear how this kind of information can be valuable to competitors as well as criminals.

    Off site, other kinds of materials can be destroyed. Counterfeit documents, contraband, hard drive disposal is all possible. Destruction of these kinds of materials could end up saving your business from legal action, hefty fines etc.

    There are all sorts of reasons why a business might need its secure documents destroyed, and there are professional shredders out there who will be happy to do this for you.

    This guest blog post is written by Webmaster of bandmshredding.com, offering Secure shredding and hard drive disposal services!

 

Is Renting or Leasing Preferable over Buying an Office?

Renting or leasing an office has many beneficial qualities for all kinds of businesses. Both terms may be used interchangeable but they are both different; with renting there may be no formal agreement to when the rent ends whereas securing a lease on a property means an agreement on how long an office would be rented for.There are many advantages to leasing and renting office space. Most office spaces that are available to rent are ready for occupancy so it will save time and effort going through the hassle of planning, designing and constructing your office. This can be perfect if there is only a limited amount of time to spare or if the budget does not stretch to construct one from scratch.

Location is another important aspect when considering offices to rent. If a business can find premises inside the business district of a city then this is a massive advantage for any future developments, such as London office space for example. However, this will come at a price because the most successful business is always one that is very accessible for both clients and employees, which usually also has the highest monthly terms.

Renting office space is also ideal for any business that may potentially be planning to transfer to a different location in the not too distant future. Of course, the lease agreement must be complied with (although serviced offices already have a shorter lease) but this is less of a burden compared to the hassle of selling offices which will involve mountains of paperwork and complications.

This guest blog post is written by Webmaster of www.serviced-offices.biz, offering Office Space and London Office Space services!

 

How to Turn that Unused Office into a Chic Guest Room

You bought a great desk to try and encourage yourself to get more work done on your hobbies, passions and career but it didn’t quite work out as you had planned. That desk is now covered in junk and it is slowly accumulating dust. It’s time to reimagine that room as something useful.

A guest room is a great addition to any home an one you’ll be happy you decided to pursue. The first thing you need to do is empty the room out to make room for the new furniture. You should never just add futons to an office and call it a guest room. This needs to be a guest room first so take everything out and start over. You can leave the desk in there but empty it out and only out back exactly what you need.

Next you can think about the bedding situation. Is this room big enough to consider platform beds or are you going to have to limit yourself to day beds and futons? Platform beds offer some great additional storage if you buy a model with hidden drawers built into the actual frame. This can act as a great place to keep linens and extra pillows so your guests have access to them at all times.

If you don’t have the room for platform beds then futons are your next best bet. This will allow you to have a full sleeping space that converts into a couch when not in use. Futons are a very space efficient option for smaller apartments and houses. Make sure that you don’t keep anything in the guest room that you need on a daily basis. This should be your guests’ space and if you are intruding every few hours then they will not feel at ease.

What is Upton Vending?

What is Upton Vending?


Uptons Refreshment Systems is a long and well established vending company providing a broad range of refreshment systems to a variety of businesses and sectors across the United Kingdom.

Whether you have an office that needs a hot drinks machine for a meeting room or have a large factory that needs a range of food and drink systems for the employees’ canteen, Uptons Refreshment Systems will supply and maintain your vending machine to suit your needs.

In addition to our broad range of products, Uptons Refreshment Systems can also provide a bespoke design service which is geared to creating an array of machines and systems to suit your specific requirements.

We can supply you with Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance accredited products for your vending machines, ensuring your organisation is staying environmentally friendly.