Medical records, employee salary details and termination paperwork are just a few examples of documents that often get printed on a shared printer, but contain information that should not be shared. Providing the tools for employees to properly handle private and confidential information is the responsibility of the organization.
Secure printing software is one tool that controls the transfer and production of sensitive information. It works by tying the user to the document by requiring that user to identify him/herself at the printer (via a PIN# or ID card) before production will begin. This ensures that the confidential/private documents don’t get lost in the paper shuffle or picked up by unauthorized viewers.
Why you need secure printing
Virtually every business works with confidential information. A few examples include employees’ tax information, salary and insurance details, medical information, legal documentation, student records or termination papers. Depending on the nature of your business, you might also be dealing with confidential customer information.
Everything from payment information and credit card numbers to home addresses is available– incredibly valuable information for identity thieves. It is your responsibility, as an organization and employer, to keep this information secure. Secure printing software can be an important part of your security process.
Introducing PaperCut™
PaperCut™ is a print management software with a secure print release feature that prevents printed documents from falling into the wrong hands. The program works by putting print jobs into a holding pattern, rather than releasing them immediately to the printer. Until the user authenticates him/herself at a printer, the documents will not be produced. This ensures that the user is present when the confidential document prints.
As an added bonus to the security benefits, PaperCut’s secure print release can help reduce waste within your organization. Because print jobs can be held until a user is authenticated, many jobs go unprinted because the user never claims the job.
Secure printing software or a personal printer?
The alternative to secure printing software is a personal printer for each employee or department responsible for handling confidential or sensitive information. Private access to a printer ensures documents are handled only by authorized users in much the same way secure printing does.
So, the question becomes, when are personal printers sufficient and cost-effective vs. secure printing software?
Personal printer
Personal printers for security printing purposes are best in smaller organizations simply because the amount of print devices, and the number of people using them, is limited. This private printer should only be accessible by employees approved to handle this type of information. So, to prevent exposing confidential documents, the printer must be located in a secure location.
Secure printing software
Secure printing software, such as PaperCut, is typically necessary for larger organizations with a large number of employees handling secure information. It allows multiple employees to use the same printer, while maintaining the security benefits of using a personal printer.
Printing to shared printers with secure printing capabilities is often more cost-effective because the device can be used by more employees, rather than limited to only those that are approved to handle confidential information.
Secure printing seeks to minimize the risk of exposing confidential information, and helps keep both your employees and customers’ information safe.
Tyler Ebnet is a copier sales manager at Marco. Marco specializes in business IT services, managed services, cloud services and copiers/printers. Its technology experts break down complex solutions into simple terms to position your business for success. You can learn more at marconet.com.
