COMMENT
Secure office networks Modern office spaces increasingly require printers and
network monitoring appliances and Cyber Security as a Service, to full IT services provision whereby we manage their entire IT infrastructure. GF: Kyocera is taking proactive steps, for instance... Our A3 MFPs are validated by Keypoint Intelligence as exceeding industry standards and awarded the BLI ‘Security Seal’ for device penetration. The TASKalfa 3554ci series was verified to be free from any high-risk vulnerabilities from outside attacks. We call this K-level and it’s now onboard the latest ECOSYS PA6000x series printers. Kyocera Print Copy Scan is hosted in a cloud that includes a mixture of infrastructure and software to provide a highly secure and scalable platform. Because KCPS is cloud-based, it’s ‘securely’ available to users anywhere - whether working from the office, home, or hub – 24/ 7/ 365. What conversations should resellers/dealers be having with customers on secure office networks – what should they be looking to sell into customers? Should it be a collaborative conversation and something bespoke built to the customer’s needs? GF: One of the top investment priorities will be underpinning the digital transformation journey as organisations adopt more agile ways of working. But this is only one part of the puzzle. Equally crucial is providing the infrastructure that delivers the office remotely. This presents additional security issues, such as employees using personal devices or home internet connections, as well as access control challenges – who has access to what, where and when. So yes, it should be a collaborative conversation – each organisation is different, so partners should be ready to provide bespoke solutions to suit their customers’ specific needs. Where will this market go in 2023? What innovations are in the pipeline, or threats will be the biggest, for example? GF: There’ll be a definite shift to cloud-based print from mid-sized customers looking to overcome the complexity and inefficiencies of managing a traditional on-premise print infrastructure, which are admin intensive, costly and not that environmentally friendly to run. KCPS can be sold as ‘Software as a Service.’ It’s a multi-tenant architecture that uses an ‘hierarchical structure which is extremely helpful for those administrating the system. So resellers and end- customers alike can see their structure and those they support within a single entity.
scanners to be fully networked. This brings many benefits in terms of accessibility and efficiency, but also new security risks.
There is an urgent need for businesses to make their networks fully secure, especially with criminals finding ever more sophisticated ways to steal data. This is where security providers – and their innovative new products and services – have a major role to play. Print in the Channel caught up with Graham Foxwell (GF) Product Marketing Lead at Kyocera UK and Ian Jones (IJ), Managing Director at Right Digital Solutions, to get their take on the secure office. How big a security risk is posed by printers and scanners for businesses? GF: The potential risk is significant. Unsecured printers act as a back door for hackers to access a company’s network. Cyber-criminals can get hold of data stored on the network via a print device or access potentially sensitive or confidential information on the device. Employees also pose an unintended security risk. Documents left forgotten and uncollected could be seen by unauthorised eyes, or employees could be using personal mobile devices to manage printing, the security of which is difficult to monitor. Are businesses aware of the risks of office networks, especially in the hybrid working age? IJ: It is our belief at RDS that customers are aware of the need for security, however they struggle to understand the specifics of what is required to both implement and monitor their environment to a necessary level. This only increases in relevance if they are regulated or wish to qualify for Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus. This is where working with managed service providers has a huge amount of merit, particularly with the challenges brought on by the hybrid age in which we now operate. By linking up with partners with relevant expertise, companies can move from just having awareness of security issues, to being able to solve them in the long term. Cyber-attacks are on the up, how are security providers fighting back against the criminals? IJ: At RDS we have launched a programme which engages customers in the ‘security’ and ‘cybersecurity’ conversation. This ranges from increasing and encrypting the security of their print output devices, providing next gen anti-ransomware
Graham Foxwell product marketing lead Kyocera UK
kyoceradocument solutions.co.uk
Ian Jones managing director Right Digital Solutions
rightdigitalsolutions.com
36
Powered by FlippingBook