Networked office printer with connected devices and data security risks

Why Your Office Printer May Be a Major Cybersecurity Privacy Risk

By Geoffrey Wenger Published July 14, 2026

Category: Cybersecurity

Small businesses protect laptops, email accounts, passwords, and cloud software, yet the office printer often gets little attention. That can be a costly mistake. Today’s printers may handle payroll files, contracts, customer records, medical forms, and other private information. They also have processors, storage, firmware, network access, and admin controls. Put simply, the quiet machine near the filing cabinet is a computer, and it may be the weakest device on your network.

Your Printer Is More Than a Printer

The office printer has changed a lot. Years ago, it may have connected to one desktop with a cable. That was about it. A modern network printer can receive jobs from computers and phones, scan files to email, connect to cloud services, store contacts, keep activity logs, and offer a control panel through a web browser.

To handle all of that, the printer needs many of the same parts found in other connected devices. It may have a processor, memory, firmware, internal storage, user accounts, network services, and its own IP address.

That makes the printer useful. It also gives a business more settings to manage and more ways for something to go wrong.

NIST’s research into cybersecurity for connected devices points to the same basic idea: devices that connect to a network need controls for updates, data protection, access, configuration, and communication.

Still, many printers are ignored until paper jams or toner runs out. No one checks the firmware. No one reviews the admin page. The printer keeps working, so everyone assumes it is fine.

That is where the risk begins. A printer can produce flawless pages while running old software or exposing settings that have not been checked in years.

Default Passwords Open the Door

Most network printers include a web-based management page. It may be called an embedded web server, admin portal, or management interface. You usually reach it by entering the printer’s IP address into a browser.

From there, an administrator may be able to manage Wi-Fi settings, firmware updates, scan destinations, cloud services, stored jobs, address books, and security controls.

That page should be protected by a strong, unique password. Often, it is not.

Some printers are installed with factory credentials that never get changed. Others use a password that is short, easy to guess, or shared among several employees. In some cases, the printer may have almost no meaningful protection at all.

Default login details are risky because they may appear in manuals, support pages, labels, or public password lists. CISA recommends that businesses replace default passwords before using a system, rather than trusting the settings that came from the factory.

What can happen if someone gets into the printer’s admin page? That depends on the model, but possible actions may include:

Changing scan-to-email addresses or network folders.
Adding users, contacts, or forwarding settings.
Turning on remote-printing features.
Reviewing device details or job records.
Weakening login or logging controls.
Blocking authorized users from managing the printer.

Change the admin password during setup, not months later. Save it in a reputable password manager and limit access to the people who truly need it.

Printers May Store Private Files

Not every printer saves a full copy of every page. Some basic models mostly use temporary memory, which often clears when the printer is turned off.

Larger business printers can be very different.

Many multifunction printers include flash storage, a solid-state drive, or a hard drive. That storage supports useful features such as saved jobs, reprinting, scanning, faxing, user accounts, and address books. It may also hold more information than a business owner expects.

Depending on the model, a printer may retain:

Print queues and saved jobs.
Scanned images and fax records.
Email addresses and network folders.
Usernames or account details.
Document previews or thumbnails.
Usage logs and job history.
Files stored for later printing.

This does not mean that every deleted page can easily be recovered. It does mean that clearing a print queue or pressing “factory reset” may not erase everything stored inside the device.

HP, for example, documents data-erasure controls for stored printer jobs. The available erase methods vary by printer, and other manufacturers use their own tools and terms.

Treat a business printer like any other device that may contain private data. Before it is sold, donated, recycled, returned, or sent away for repair, review the instructions for that exact model.

Remove stored jobs, users, fax records, address books, cloud accounts, network settings, and saved credentials. If the printer has an internal drive, find out how that drive is erased.

Leased equipment deserves extra care. Ask the provider, in writing, what happens to stored data after pickup. A factory reset may clear settings. It does not always mean the drive has been securely wiped.

Old Firmware Can Stay Hidden

Firmware is the built-in software that runs the printer. It controls printing, scanning, storage, network access, login features, and communication with other devices.

Like Windows, router software, or mobile apps, printer firmware can contain security flaws. Manufacturers may release updates to repair those flaws. The trouble is that printer updates are easy to forget.

People see phone and computer update alerts all the time. Printers tend to sit quietly in the background. A device may run for several years before anyone checks which firmware version is installed.

NIST lists secure and manageable software update capabilities as an important feature for connected devices. Updates should come from a trusted source and be installed through an approved process.

Start by recording the exact model and firmware version of each business printer. Then compare that version with the latest one listed on the manufacturer’s support page. Use the printer’s built-in update feature or download the update from the manufacturer itself.

Avoid random driver and firmware websites. They may offer old, incorrect, or unsafe files.

Support status matters too. A printer may still print beautifully long after the manufacturer stops issuing security fixes. At that point, the machine may be mechanically sound but no longer a good fit for a network that handles private records.

A home office or very small business can check for updates several times a year. A larger business should include printers in its normal device inventory and patch schedule.

One Printer Can Widen the Risk

A weak printer does not automatically hand an attacker every file on the network. That would be an exaggeration. But any poorly secured device can add another place to collect information, disrupt services, or look for a path into other systems.

Printers often communicate with more than employee laptops. They may connect to print servers, mobile apps, email systems, cloud accounts, vendor tools, and shared folders. Some serve several departments or even several locations.

That gives printing systems a wider reach than many people realize.

In 2023, the FBI and CISA warned that attackers were exploiting a serious flaw in PaperCut MF and PaperCut NG. The weakness allowed remote code to run on affected print-management servers without valid login credentials. The official PaperCut security advisory did not say that every office printer was affected. It did show, however, that print systems can become a real path for attack when exposed software is left unpatched.

A business should know which printers and print tools it uses. Keep a record of where each device connects, what software supports it, who manages it, and whether the product still receives updates.

That basic inventory may seem dull. It is also one of the simplest ways to avoid losing track of an aging device.

Paper Can Leak Data Too

Not every printer breach involves malware or a hacker. Sometimes the problem is sitting in the output tray.

A payroll report can be picked up by the wrong employee. A medical form placed in ordinary recycling may still be easy to read. A contract left on the scanner glass could be seen by the next person who walks up. One wrong email address can send a scanned file outside the company in seconds.

Home and hybrid work make this harder to control. Employees may print business records in rooms shared with family members, roommates, visitors, or repair workers. They may also throw private pages into household trash because no shredder is nearby.

A few simple controls can lower that risk:

Place printers away from public or customer areas.
Pick up sensitive pages right after printing.
Check email addresses before sending scans.
Remove original papers from the scanner.
Shred private records when they are no longer needed.
Set rules for printing company files at home.
Use secure-release printing for sensitive jobs.

With secure print job release, the printer holds a document until the user enters a code, scans a card, or signs in. The pages do not print until the right person is standing at the machine.

That one step can prevent documents from sitting unattended for several minutes, or several hours.

Guest Wi-Fi Is Not a Cure-All

Moving a printer to the guest network may sound like an easy fix. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it simply stops the printer from working.

Many guest networks isolate devices from one another. That keeps a visitor’s phone from reaching another guest’s laptop, which is useful. But it can also prevent employee computers from finding the printer.

For some businesses, a separate printer or Internet of Things network is a better option. Computers that need to print can be allowed to reach the device. The printer, meanwhile, can be blocked from freely contacting unrelated systems.

NIST has shown how limiting IoT device communications can reduce the chance that connected products will be attacked or misused. The exact setup depends on the router, firewall, printer, and level of IT support available.

A home office may not have those advanced options. That is fine. Start with the basics.

Use WPA2 or WPA3 Wi-Fi security. Give the router and printer different passwords. Never expose the printer’s admin page directly to the public internet.

Then review optional features. Turn off Wi-Fi Direct, remote printing, FTP, Telnet, Bluetooth, faxing, cloud links, and other services the business does not use.

An unused feature provides no value. It still creates one more thing to secure.

Check Printer Security in 10 Steps

A useful printer review does not require a large IT team. You just need to learn what the device can do, what it stores, how it connects, and who controls it.

CISA’s internet exposure reduction recommendations support several of the same steps: replace default passwords, install current security updates, remove unsupported technology, and reduce unnecessary exposure.

Use this checklist:

Find the printer’s IP address on its display, network page, router, or print server.
Open the management page from a trusted computer.
Confirm that the admin page requires a password.
Replace factory credentials with a unique password.
Check the installed firmware against the manufacturer’s latest version.
Turn off remote access and services the business does not use.
Review saved users, jobs, contacts, scan locations, and connected accounts.
Limit printer access to approved users and devices.
Record the model, serial number, IP address, firmware, owner, and support status.
Write down the correct erase process before the printer is sold, repaired, or recycled.

Before changing settings on an important office printer, save or record its current setup. After making changes, test printing, scanning, email delivery, and any other features the business relies on.

Do not assume that a setting worked just because the page accepted it. A quick test can prevent a surprise the next morning.

JENI® Supports the Bigger Picture

Printer security is only one part of a healthy business technology setup. The Windows and Mac computers that create documents, send print jobs, download files, and connect to office devices also need regular care.

JENI® helps maintain those computers through on-demand repair, cleanup, privacy, and system-maintenance tools. It does not replace firmware updates, network controls, secure printing, or the printer manufacturer’s admin features.

Instead, it supports the wider system around the printer.

A secure printer connected to a neglected computer does not solve the full problem. The reverse is also true. A clean, well-maintained computer can still send private files to a printer with weak settings, old firmware, or exposed storage.

Small-business security works best when every connected device is treated according to what it does and what data it handles.

Office Printer Security FAQ

Can an office printer be hacked?

Yes. A printer or print-management system may have weak passwords, insecure settings, outdated software, or exposed services. The actual risk depends on the model, firmware, network setup, and who can reach the device.

Does a printer save every document?

No. Storage varies widely between small home printers and larger office models. Some use mostly temporary memory, while others may retain print jobs, scans, fax records, logs, or saved files.

Should Wi-Fi Direct be disabled?

Turn it off when no one needs to connect directly to the printer. An unused wireless feature creates another access point that must be protected and checked.

Is a factory reset enough?

Not always. A factory reset may remove settings without fully erasing files or data stored on an internal drive. Follow the manufacturer’s erase instructions for the exact printer model.

How often should firmware be checked?

A small business should check several times a year and whenever the manufacturer issues a security notice. Printers that handle highly sensitive files should be part of the regular patch and security review process.

Put the Printer on Your Security List

Printers are easy to ignore because they are quiet, familiar, and usually dependable. Yet they may handle payroll files, contracts, tax records, customer information, medical forms, passwords, and scanned documents every day.

That makes the printer a network device, not just an office appliance.

Protect the admin account. Keep the firmware current. Turn off services no one uses. Control who can reach the device, collect printed pages quickly, and erase stored data before the printer leaves the business.

Canon also describes modern printers as connected, data-rich devices that belong inside a company’s wider security plan.

The goal is not to make printing harder. It is to stop treating the printer as if it were invisible.

Give the device an owner. Record its settings. Check it from time to time. Plan for its eventual replacement or disposal. Once those steps become part of normal business maintenance, one of the most overlooked devices on the network becomes far easier to control.