Print Security Landscape, 2024
July 2024
Print Security Landscape, 2024
Mitigating the print infrastructure as a threat vector
? Quocirca 2024
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Print security trends in the US and EuropeLICENSED TO HP
Vendor Excerpt: HP
July 2024
Print Security Landscape, 2024
July 2024
Executive summary
The rise of hybrid work has blurred the lines of traditional print infrastructure security. Public networks and lesscontrolled environments are now commonplace, demanding a more robust approach to print security.
Meanwhile, the rise of AI is creating further security challenges, increasing the potential for vulnerable devices to become easier targets and be compromised as a result of weak security protocols. Print manufacturers and channel partners must adapt by offering enhanced security solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing IT
infrastructure. This shift presents a significant opportunity. By becoming trusted advisors, the print channel can guide organisations towards comprehensive solutions across device, data, and document security. Prioritising the print infrastructure as a critical element of wider information security strategies will not only safeguard businesses, but also unlock new revenue streams for the print industry.
Quocirca's Print Security Landscape, 2024 study reveals that organisations face ongoing challenges in securing the print infrastructure. Employee-owned printers are viewed as a key security concern by 33% of organisations,
which reflects the difficulty in controlling home printing at both a device and document level as documents can be exposed to unauthorised users. Despite the growing awareness of printing as a security weakness,
organisations are struggling to translate this knowledge into action.
Print-related data breaches remain a significant threat, with 67% of respondents (up from 61% in 2023) reporting at least one data loss incident in the past year. This number jumps to 74% for midmarket organisations. This is leading to a decline in confidence, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), in the overall security of their print infrastructure.
Notably, organisations operating a standardised fleet are less likely to report one or more data losses (59%) than those operating a multivendor fleet (70%). This reflects the challenge of maintaining consistent security across mixed brands compared to proprietary security platforms that are embedded in a standardised fleet. Third-party print management solutions can help with securing printing across a mixed fleet. However, the extra workload for IT in managing a mixed fleet, along with the additional difficulties and hard costs of sourcing multiple print device drivers, integration systems, and monitoring and reporting systems, makes mixed fleets less attractive than standardised ones.
The latest research exposes a concerning gap in print security perception between chief information officers
(CIOs) and chief information security officers (CISOs). While both expect increased security spending (77% of
CIOs and 78% of CISOs), CISOs are significantly less confident in current print security measures than CIOs. This disconnect is further emphasised by the higher percentage of CISOs (41%, versus 34% of CIOs) who find managing print security challenges difficult. Interestingly, CIOs exhibit greater concern (52%, versus 32% of
