When printing confidential information, it is vital to safeguard this data throughout the printing process. While many organizations have a secure pull printing solution in place, they have not taken any measures to protect the data while it is ‘in motion.’ By this, I mean the period from when the print job is submitted and when it actually prints. During this time, there are various potential risks including hacks.
When dealing with sensitive information, it is important to protect this data. We currently hear a lot about General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance. High penalties could result from a security breach in your printing processes. Exposing personal data can lead to large fines as a result of the new GDPR rules. But you also need to think about the raw information that gets hacked. Imagine the cost if a trade secret is exposed due to something as simple as hitting the print button without having proper protection in place. Or what about account information in finance institutions, or patient data in healthcare facilities? There are many reasons for wanting to protect data whilst printing.
Looking at the print process, we know that usually – depending on the setup – a print file is sent to a server and subsequently to the printer. Alternatively, if direct IP printing is enabled, the print file will be sent directly to a printer. In both cases, the print file travels over the network. During this transit, the data is at risk. One way to prevent any identifiable information from being exposed is to encrypt the data. That is, you need to transform it into ciphertext using an encryption algorithm and an encryption key.
In the case of LRS software, our secure printing products use the Advanced Encryption System (AES) based on the Rijndael algorithm. Within the VPSX Enterprise solution, you find something called LRSQueue. All data is captured here and is intelligently processed so that it can be transferred to the VSPX Enterprise Output Server and then on to its destination. This means that the moment a user submits a job for printing, it goes into LRSQueue for further processing and encryption. This eliminates the risk of data being retrieved by unauthorized users.
In the event that LRSQueue cannot be utilized, there is an option to use IPPS as well. This protocol also encrypts data when it is submitted for print and ensures safe transmission between the desktop, server, and printer. This is analogous to browsing the internet when you visit a page that requires a secure connection. The HTTP at the beginning of the site URL will convert to HTTPS. A secure protocol is activated and that is how you know you can safely submit your confidential data (for example, when placing an order or checking your bank statement). By using IPPS versus standard IPP, you can be certain that digital data is safely delivered to its destination. Wouldn’t that be a good idea for all your valuable data?
Nowadays, data protection is a strong concern of many, if not all, organizations. This may stem from the need to protect intellectual property or be due to a legal mandate such as the new GDPR. In any case, LRS can help address the need and establish a secure print process wherein data is captured, processed, and produced in the most secure fashion.
We can help eliminate the risk that comes with transforming digital data into printed documents. So why risk exposing confidential data which could result in high costs if you can prevent that altogether by implementing a smart set of tools? You don’t have to take that risk!
Contact us today or read more about our secure printing solutions at: /blog/post/network-printing-and-security
