HP Inc. wants to set a new benchmark for Internet of Things (IoT) security with its newest product and service enhancements.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company announced today that it would be placing security first in redesigns of both its printers and Managed Printing Services (MPS), by pre-configuring the former and adding enhanced security services to the latter.
In a Dec. 5 statement, Ed Wingate, vice-president and general manager of HP’s JetAdvantage Solutions division, said the company realized that networked printers could no longer be ignored as the industry grapples with frequent cyberattacks, many of them leveraging leveraging IoT devices, including printers.
By pre-calibrating its devices for maximum security and enhancing its secure MPS offering, the company’s intends to “enable our customers to stay on top of growing endpoint security challenges,” he said.
When it comes to the printers themselves, HP has begun closing older, less frequently maintained interfaces that the U.S.-based National Institute of Standards and Technology has deemed less secure, including ports, protocols, and cipher suites such as FTP and Telnet, on its devices before shipping them. Moving forward, customers will be required to open any such ports or protocols themselves when adding new printers to their network, the company said. HP also released a FutureSmart firmware update in November that improved admin password and encryption settings for both new and existing HP enterprise printers.
MPS-wise, HP is adding several new implementation and professional services to its Secure MPS offering, including:
- Specialized security support technicians for implementing corporate print security plans.
- Security advisors who can deliver ongoing expertise, risk profile updates, and support for both security plans and compliance audits.
- Remote security settings management, including ongoing monitoring of a company’s printer network for potential issues.
Finally, the company has added the a few enhancements to its line of HP JetAdvantage solutions:
- Improved functionality and support for SNMPv3, a new card reader compatible with HIP2 that expands card type compatibility, and the ability of users to log in and log out by swiping a proximity or smart card to its HP Access Control service.
- LDAP over SSL support, data at rest encryption for scanned data stored on the Capture and Route server, and MyMessages to its HP Capture and Route service, allowing devices to immediately print user messages and faxes.
For more information on HP’s MPS offering, visit the company’s website.