It is not absurd to consider safeguarding your wireless printer in an era of rapid technology and cyber breakthroughs and even quicker cybercriminals. There are many wireless printers available nowadays, but just as you must secure your own wireless network, you should do your best to safeguard your wireless printer.
Many times, individuals won’t give security for their printer a second thought, but doing so may be disastrous. You’ve probably seen a list of other Wi-Fi networks in your neighbourhood that are open to connections when connecting to one Wi-Fi network. Others of these will be accessible for you to connect to without a password, while others of these will have a keypad lock next to them suggesting that you’ll need a password to connect to them.
Always make sure that your wireless printer is password-protected. The process for doing so differs depending on the printer’s manufacturer, so consult the user manual and make sure you’re doing everything you can to safeguard your printer. Even only a few weeks ago, a tale of a neighbour who was played for a fool for buying a new wireless printer and leaving it exposed went viral. This gave the neighbour access and allowed him to make fun of the printer’s apparent self-awareness. The privacy of someone’s printer may have been slightly violated, but this is but one illustration of how simple it is for someone to exploit a security flaw.
Combating Wireless Printing Security Threats
Here’s a few things you can do as a home-user to increase your printer security –
Password protection – If your printer has wireless printing capabilities and the ability to be password secured, do as previously instructed.
Install the latest software and drivers – Many manufacturers often provide software and driver updates to ensure that they are defending against the most recent security risks. Make sure you’re always current.
Setup a guest network – Consider creating a guest network specifically for this use if you provide access to your wireless network to visitors, clients, or anyone else. This will imply that while these users may access the internet, they cannot access the primary network or the devices attached to it. Speak to your internet service provider if you want further details on how to proceed.
Don’t connect your printer to a public hotspot! – A few printers allow you to limit access to people who are only linked to your home network, so make sure your printer is connected to your own router. Anybody might connect if you’re using a public hotspot or Wi-Fi and compromise your printer’s security.
