HP has announced an overhauled Secure Managed Print Services (MPS) solution which the company claims represents a new standard in bolstering the security of networked printers against cyber-attacks.
Broadly, the redesigned scheme includes a raft of professional services such as ‘print security implementation’, whereby trained security technicians deliver and implement corporate print security plans, and a ‘retainer service’ where HP security pros provide ongoing guidance and risk profile updates to ensure that print security remains watertight going forward.
A ‘print security governance and compliance’ service deals with, well, compliance issues and remote management of security settings, and furthermore HP is bringing new tools on board as part of the MPS solution which automate important elements such as firmware updates and password management, removing the burden of such fiddly duties from IT staff.
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More secure from the start
On a more basic level, HP is also preconfiguring its printers for security, meaning that devices will now be shipped with potential vulnerabilities closed by default. Customers will need to open certain ports and protocols if necessary, rather than the other way round, which obviously decreases potential areas of exploitation from the get-go.
A fresh FurtureSmart firmware update made available last month also improved admin password encryption settings, not just for new but also existing HP enterprise printers.
Ed Wingate, VP and GM, JetAdvantage Solutions at HP Inc, commented: “Networked printers can no longer be overlooked in the wake of weakening firewalls to the growing sophistication and volume of cyber-attacks. That’s why HP has established a new benchmark in managed print services, infusing security best practices into everything that we do to enable our customers to stay on top of growing endpoint security challenges.”
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