S 2.399 Criteria for the procurement and selection of suitable printers, copiers, and all-in-one devices

Initiation responsibility: IT Security Officer, Head of IT

Implementation responsibility: Administrator, Purchasing Department

When purchasing new printers, copier, or all-in-one devices, you have the possibility to select these devices before purchasing so that a high degree of security can be achieved during operation with a low amount of additional expense for personnel and organizational tasks.

Many printers and copiers have a modular design. Additional functions can be added to the base device to expand its functionality. These functions include, for example, additional security mechanisms such as support for authentication via PINs or chip cards. Before purchasing printers, copiers, and similar devices, the security requirements must be specified as well as the general requirements. The requirements and the decisions made on this basis are to be documented. The following contains a list of some basic requirements when purchasing printers:

• Basic functional requirements
• • Should network-capable devices be purchased?
  • Is the level of performance of the device appropriate for the size of the user group?
  • What kind of printer should be purchased and which printing process should it use?
  • Can additional functions be added to expand the device after purchase?
    Many devices can be expanded by adding network capabilities, duplex printing, additional paper bins, and authentication, for example, by purchasing the corresponding accessories.

• General security
• • Does the system support secure protocols for administration purposes?
    In order to be able to administer the devices from a central location, network-capable devices must support secure protocols for administration.
  • Can information be stored in encrypted form?
    To prevent access to the data when a hard disk is removed (without authorisation), some devices store the information in encrypted form on the hard disk.
  • Is it possible to perform authentication directly on the device (e.g. by entering a password/PIN or using chip cards) or can this function be installed later on?
    Many devices are equipped for authentication, but on some devices this is only possible for administration purposes to secure access to the configuration. However, there are also devices on which all user accesses can be secured so that information is only printed out after the user has provided authentication on the device. This is done to protect information transmitted to a network printer or scanned on a copier from being printed out by unauthorised persons. Such a function can also be used to control costs.
  • Are there locks or other anti-theft capabilities present to physically prevent the devices from theft?
  • Can manipulations to the hardware be made more difficult using housing locks or similar precautions?
    Note that memory modules are often stolen from printers and copiers.

• Secure deletion
• • Can the storage device be cleared by the user after every copy operation?
    Many devices come with built-in storage, usually in the form of hard disks. If data is stored in unencrypted form there, then this data can be read out by unauthorised persons under certain circumstances. In addition, there is also a risk that attackers could reprint the pages still stored on the device. Some devices provide functions to delete the data on the storage device for this purpose. The setup should be configured so that the data is deleted automatically after every copy operation.
  • Is it possible to erase the entire hard disk?
    It should be possible for disposal purposes at a later date to erase the entire hard disk by overwriting the data on it. Erasing the entire hard disk should only be possible by authorised persons and only after entering a corresponding delete command.
  • Is information on the deletion shown on the display?
    Both the deletion of the most recent data stored as well as the erasure of the entire hard disk by overwriting the data on it should be indicated on the display of the device whenever possible.
• Network security
• • Is the device equipped with network protection mechanisms such as IP and port filters?
  • Does the device need to be WLAN- or Bluetooth-enabled or will a cable connection suffice?
    Wireless technologies pose a higher security risk than cable connections. Additional security measures usually need to be taken for this reason when using wireless solutions.
  • Does the device support encryption of the printer communication?
    Network protocols supporting the encryption of the information to be printed out during transmission over a network so that this information cannot be read during transmission should be used. An example of such a protocol is the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) when used in connection with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).
  • Can the device be integrated into an existing IEEE 802.1X environment?
    IEEE 802.1X permits the authentication of the end devices on the network. This protects against the unauthorised operation of IT systems on the LAN.
• Maintainability
• • Does the manufacturer offer regular updates and make security patches available quickly?
    It is particularly important that the manufacturer reacts quickly to security gaps once they become known.
  • Can maintenance contracts be concluded for the product?
    Access to updates and support services from the manufacturer is often only available in conjunction with a valid maintenance contract.
  • Can maximum response times for eliminating problems be specified within the framework of the maintenance contracts?
    A maintenance contract is only useful when the specified requirements for the availability of the devices can still be met after taking the guaranteed reaction and return-to-service times into account.
  • Does the vendor or manufacturer provide technical customer service (hotline) that is able to help immediately when problems occur?
    This aspect should be part of every maintenance contract. When signing the contract, it must be ensured that the hotline or support employee also speaks the same language as the people who will usually be making these calls.
• Costs
• • How high is the initial purchase cost of each device?
  • How high are the prospective running costs including maintenance, operation, and support?
    These costs should already be taken into consideration during the procurement phase. The contents of the maintenance and support contracts should be checked in terms of the reaction times, hotline availability, and qualifications of the personnel, for example.

Review questions:

• Have requirements for the purchase of printers, copiers, and all-in-one devices been defined?
• Are the requirements documented?
• Will security aspects also be considered as selection criteria when purchasing printers, copiers and all-in-one devices?