Office devices such as printers and scanners can pose a security and privacy risk as they may store or transmit data about the documents they are processing without knowing it. This may result in leakage of personal and confidential information, said Vitaly Savchenko, Vice Rector for Digital Development and Information Technologies of Izvestia State Educational University.
“Office devices can secretly copy information because they often have built-in hard drives or memory that can store print, copy and scan data. Some devices can also be compromised by hackers who can install malware to save the information,” Savchenko said.
Attackers can use the copied information for identity theft, competitive espionage, threats or blackmail.
According to him, confidential copying of information is difficult to detect without special software or expert verification. Savchenko noted that some signs of covert copying could be unusual device activity, incorrect display of documents, or the presence of unknown files on the device’s hard drive.
Savchenko recommended regularly updating the software and firmware of devices, setting passwords and restricting access, not using documents containing confidential information, periodically deleting all data stored in its memory or destroying it using special programs, especially if the device is in a public place.
“The security and confidentiality of information should be a priority when using office equipment, and regular checks and precautions can help minimize risks,” said Savchenko.
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Source: Gazeta
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