Printers: A Hidden Security Threat

Even worse, security researchers warn, they are a forgotten risk in everyenterprise, featuring hardware that combines several functions in a single unit?fax,copier, printer and scanner.

"A compromised [multifunction printer] is dangerous for a number ofreasons. First and foremost, no one in the enterprise pays attention tothem. That lack of visibility makes for a very attractive attackplatform," said Brendan O’Connor, a researcher who was among the first tocall attention to the printer security risk during a Black Hat talk in 2006.