6 tips to protect your printer from hackers

Chances are you have never thought about securing your printer and you are not the only one. Millions of people use their printers without ever thinking that it could pose a security risk if no action is taken.

You see, users should protect their printers just like protecting their computers from malware, viruses, hackers, or anything else. When a device is on the network, including printers, it is at risk of being hacked, and that's something all printer users should keep in mind.

Protect your printer from hackers

In this article, TipsMake  will discuss security tips for protecting printers from a general point of view, since most printers behave differently. Do the following 6 things to secure your printer

1. Do not connect the printer to the network

When setting up your printer, you might be given the option to connect it to a computer network, and from the outset, doing so sounds tempting. For many people, an indoor network tends to facilitate computers, smartphones, tablets, home security systems, and others.

Since the printer is, in many cases, less secure than on the network, hackers can use it as a gateway to access computers and other devices. This type of attack has happened several times before in the past, so don't think it's uncommon.

Security attacks often pass through the weakest link on the network, so if the printer fits the conditions, such an attack is highly likely, so it is not advisable to connect it to the home network. family.

2. Ensure network printer security

If for some reason you have chosen to add your printer to the network, the next step is to make sure the network is secure from outside interference. Using a firewall and VPN is the best way!

3. Use physical printer security when possible

Most business printers can add a PIN, but some home devices support this as well. If you have one of those products, then we recommend that you take advantage of what this feature offers.

With a PIN, that simply means nobody can print documents unless they know the special set of numbers. Now, if you live alone, this option may be overkill, but for now, don't be subjective when it comes to security.

4. Update printer firmware regularly

One of the best ways to keep your printer secure is to use firmware updates. These updates don't happen very often in most cases, but whenever they appear please take some time to download and install.

To obtain the firmware, you should visit the printer vendor website or use special software for your printer to download and install the latest firmware update.

At this point, firmware updates for third-party devices are not done through Windows Update, but hopefully this will change in the future.

5. Add password to protect remote access

Here's the problem, some printers today have the ability to remotely access the device from anywhere via a web interface. It's a useful feature, but it can also be a big deal.

The best option is to add a password for anyone who wants to remotely access your printer. In most cases this can be done through the printer's security settings, so consider if the option is there.

If you own an HP printer, navigate to Settings> Security> Password settings . You should also change the default password of the admin console website.

6. Secure print ports

The standard protocol for secure printing is IPPS protocol over SSL port 443, so leave it open. You can disable the following features if you don't use them:

1. Ports 515, 721-731, 9100
2. IPP on port 631
3. SMB protocol

Marvin Fry

Update 17 November 2020