The CBS Evening news lately broadcast a story known as "Copy Machines a Safety Threat?" The information presented inside the story was alarming to say the least but CBS only scratched the surface from the topic. For companies who rely on securing confidential and proprietary data from competitors or hackers, there is far more you need to know regarding the inconspicuous digital copier. Within this post we'll look at five areas where confidential information could possibly be compromised.

When you haven't seen the CBS story please click on this hyperlink at the bottom of this web page and view the five minute broadcast prior to you continue with this article.

In addition for the risks presented by the CBS story here are 5 further regions exactly where copiers can compromise your security.

1. Quite a few digital copiers are also network printers that retailer network information including IP addresses, subnet masks and gateway IP's. These settings aren't stored around the really hard drive and usually are not cleared by the digital copier "Purge" function. Network settings ought to be manually cleared. Security authorities will inform you to keep your network configuration private. You do not want competitors or hackers to understand your internal network configuration. The additional data about your network infrastructure that's accessible to hackers the less they have to determine on their very own along with the sooner they are able to compromise your network.

two. A lot of digital copiers retailer the IP addresses of one's DNS servers and/or Domain controllers. According to the form and model of one's copier, this information and facts may not be cleared by your copier "purge" function. You undoubtedly don't want competitors or hackers realizing the IP addresses of one's Name Servers or Domain Controllers.

three. A lot of digital copiers retailer e mail addresses and a few even download your whole Email International Address List to the copier. Once more, you do not want this to be accessible to those outdoors your enterprise.

4. The "purge" function made use of by older digital copy machines doesn't delete any data from the copier difficult drive. It only renders the information inaccessible for the copier application. It either deletes a file we techies would get in touch with a "file allocation table" or it can use other techniques to render the information unreadable for the copier computer software. The "Purge" button merely provides an allusion the disk has been cleaned. Nonetheless, the data is still there and may be removed as shown on the CBS story. Most copier security policies rely on this built-in Purge function and assume their information is cleared. It really is not cleared. It may still be accessed with no cost scanning tools obtainable on the web.

5. In case your copier features a fax capability, the copier also shops all the phone numbers it dialed and numbers that dialed it as well as any information you provided in your Fax telephone book. Once again, the "Purge" function will not clear this facts.