Kyocera leads the cybersecurity battle with print solution

Kyocera Document Solutions has unveiled a new solution to allow users identify potential security weaknesses within their print machinery and combat cybersecurity.

Believed to be the first product of its kind, Kyocera SecureAudit has been designed to help organisations manage risks posed by complex cyber threats to corporate networks.

The solution will also help companies ensure they are in line with regulations set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is due to come into effect from May 2018. GDPR features a series of strict data safeguards and will apply to all businesses active within the European Union.

Kyocera SecureAudit works by scanning Kyocera multi-function printers for any potential vulnerabilities that may raise security concerns, such as devices being set with default admin passwords and open ports. The solution then flags up any issues to the user, allowing them to take the relevant action to eliminate security concerns.

Eddie Ginja, head of innovation at Kyocera said: “Just like other IoT devices, our printers are now connected to the internet as well as corporate networks creating a massively expanded threat surface. Without adequate protection, cyber-attacks can easily gain access to unencrypted and other (personal) data available across entire IT networks. It’s like leaving your back door wide open to burglars.

Upon launching the solution, Kyocera cited research from Quocirca that suggests that of the millions of business printers in the world, just two percent are secure.

The report cited print and document data management infrastructure as a major weak point in security, with 63 percent of all businesses surveyed in the study experiencing at least one data breach related to print.

Ginja added: “The extensive potential fines, of either four percent of your turnover or €20m ($23.5m/£18.1m), imposed by the impending GDPR are a huge incentive for you to sort out your security now.

“Data and printing go hand in hand and so it only stands to reason that a regulation which will transform the way organisations think about personal data should also transform the way that they think about print.

“By adding SecureAudit to our existing security measures, Kyocera is providing businesses with greater peace of mind that they are doing everything they can to ensure data security.

“Now is a great time to address print security.”

The new Kyocera SecureAudit will be offered within Kyocera suite of application software, powered by HyPAS. Customers can now take advantage of both off-the-shelf and custom-built HyPAS apps, many of which are available free-of-charge or on a trial basis.