Data Security on Copier: Protecting Sensitive Data on Photocopy Machines

 Nearly every digital copier machine, manufactured after 2002, features hard drives like the one in your PCs that store an impression of each document scanned, copied or emailed by the machine. Frankly, this drive makes your copier a multi-functioning peripheral and speeds it up. However, in 2010, CBS News released a video that outraged the document management industry. The video revealed that these hard drives in MFPs (multi-functional printers) are removable and accessible long after the copier rental period were up.

Considering it, we can say this essential office staple that we almost take for granted is a time-bomb packed with extremely sensitive and highly personal data related to our businesses. It is where security concerns arise.

So, offices, especially governmental agencies, want a unit that has a feature to erase or encrypt internal data on these hard drives. If you also relate to this, let us guide you how to maintain a secure copier and ensure you’re protected from data comprising issues.

Tips for Data Security on Copier Machine

Monitor Use

Monitor your machine’s usage to discourage misuse of sensitive information. Make regular audits to verify user activities and transactions performed by the machine.

Authenticate Users

You can get technical access controls of your machine using a username/password combination.  Share login credentials with credible employees who won’t share the information with anyone in or out of the office.

Also, turn on the auto logoff feature so that the users don’t pass unofficial access by remaining logged in your document management system after use.

Hard Drive Encryption

Encryption encodes the scanned images of data processed on your copier as they are written on the hard drives. Though none of the encryption software has been proven to be 100% unbreakable, you can take it as the first step toward the security of your hard drive against malicious access.

Password-Protected Hard Drives

Another method to protect your sensitive data on copier machine hard drives is to protect the drives with passwords. Though this security method is also not foolproof, it is sufficient to rudimentary data thieves who are not involved in the high-level theft of extremely sensitive corporate data.

Consider Systems with Volatile RAM Storage

Systems with volatile RAM storage don’t need to write processed data to a hard drive. With copier featuring volatile RAM, you benefit from the volatile nature of the storage system. As you turn off the printer, all the information related to previous copy jobs is usually erased automatically.

Non-Standard File Systems for Minimal Protection

Most copiers also use proprietary file systems. Using these non-standard storage mediums, unauthorized parties can’t connect the hard drive to a PC and read your data. However, it doesn’t protect your valuable data from software designed to penetrate basic information defenses.

Overall, proprietary file systems allow very minimal protection, but you can use them for printing jobs of less or zero importance.

Secure Erase

These systems allow zero-level formatting, which blanks out the current data by overwriting the existing data on the hard drive and finally, re-erasing it. It’s recommended to choose a system that allows auto-overwriting after a certain number of photocopy machine uses.

Many machines feature a schedule function that performs deletion when the machine is not in use, or on a weekly basis.  It’s the best way to burden yourself off as you don’t need to initiate a manual erase. Make sure you run this feature at least once a month.

Make sure you’re your data is completely secure when the copier rental period is over. In this case, running overwrites twice is a good idea. And, if you don’t want to leave any loophole, just remove the hard drive and destroy it physically.