A hot topic on the mind of every security personnel or IT expert is the concept of secure print. For some, it's an emerging trend – something on their minds but not fully deployed. Others want to deploy a strategy, but don't know how to get started. However, there are still some that need to jump on the secure print bandwagon, as a recent HP study found that 56 percent of individuals surveyed say employees in their organizations are not aware of the security risks associated with printers.

To help deploy a successful secure print solution, regardless of where you are in the adaptation process, we've come up with a list of helpful tips:

Determine the type of solution your organization needs.

There are a few components to a secure print solution. For starters, there are output management solutions that help manage things like printing double sided to help save on paper, directing print jobs to unoccupied printers to save time, etc. (We have a great network of partners that offer solutions like this – check them out here.)

Additionally, there's the physical security, or authentication associated with the printer. This traditionally involves a RFID reader mounted to the printer that requires users to swipe their badge to authenticate, or authorize a print job to release. While these solutions can work separately or together, most secure print solutions involve some sort of at-the-source authentication.

Communicate the benefits prior to implementation.

As with any new technology, secure print solutions can be met with some uncertainty. Will this solution be difficult to use? How much more time will it take me? Trust me, a secure print solution not only is simple to use, but also saves time and money. Here are a few of the key benefits:

  • Security and compliance: Not only does the network stay secured, but sensitive documents no longer sit on the printer unattended until the originator picks them up, reducing unauthorized exposure, improving security and meeting industry compliance.
  • Day-to-day cost savings: Paper and toner usage is immediately reduced because the opportunity for print jobs to be sent and forgotten is eliminated.
  • Annual cost savings: Reduced number of printers required lowers both initial investment and ongoing maintenance.
  • Employee efficiency: Employees sending documents to another office (local or remote) can print them upon arrival, eliminating the need to carry heavy bundles of paper.  Read more about this in our President’s LinkedIn article.
  • Sustainability: According to The Paperless Project, "The average office worker continues to use a staggering 10,000 sheets of copy paper every year. 45 percent of the paper printed in offices ends up trashed by the end of the day – this daily lifespan occurs for over a trillion sheets of paper per year, worldwide." Secure print solutions ensure that only jobs truly intended to be printed end up coming out of the printer.

At the end of the day, a successful secure print strategy starts with deployment. As we often say, without authentication in printing, there is no security.

To learn more about rf IDEAS' secure print offerings, visit our secure print application page.