Data protection risks with printers

Yes, data protection also applies to the use of printers, as you have certainly printed a document and a colleague has mistakenly taken your document or the document has simply disappeared from the output tray.

So, are you sure you are managing data protection regulations well?

Printing confidential or sensitive documents on a shared printer can be a significant risk to information privacy.

Confidentiality of printed information is a critical aspect of data protection that must be taken into account in any printer usage policy.

Printer policy

A printer usage policy is a document that establishes the rules and procedures for the use of printers in an organization.

This policy may address issues such as the use of paper and ink, the responsibility to keep the printer in good working order, the management of print queues and, relevantly, the security of printed information and therefore the security of personal and confidential or secret data.

To ensure the confidentiality of printed information, a printer use policy could include measures such as:

Secure printing:

Offer the option of printing documents securely, using passwords or access codes to collect the printout.

Restricted use of shared printers:

Restrict the use of shared printers to authorized users only and for a legitimate purpose.

Collection of printed documents:

Establish a clear process for collecting paper documents and ensure that they are kept in a secure location.

Monitoring and auditing:

Monitor printer usage and conduct periodic audits to ensure that security policies are being followed.

Training and awareness:

Train users on the importance of information security and make them aware of the risks associated with printing confidential documents.

INCIBE gives you more ideas to improve your printer usage policy.

Data protection

It is important to keep in mind that data protection applies not only to printing, but also to the management of printed documents. Therefore, a printer usage policy should include measures to ensure the confidentiality of personal data from printing to final disposal.

This policy may be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure that it is adapted to the changing needs of the organization and current best practices.

It is considered important that all printer users are aware of and comply with this policy to ensure efficient and responsible use of printing resources.

Remember that this printer policy must be integrated into the data protection security policies developed in your organization and that its absence could be a violation in the event of a security breach and it would not be the first time that the AEPD has imposed sanctions for this reason.

Business Adapter® at your service

If you are not a customer and you need a data protection policy, contact us by email: info@businessadapter.es, you can also call 96 131 88 04, or leave your message in this form:

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