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Your Secrets Aren't Secret at Your Copier: The Hidden Security Risk and Konica Minolta’s Bizhub Secure Alert Solution

Written by Pat Pharr | October 2, 2024

In today's data-driven world, we place immense trust in our office equipment—assuming that our corporate secrets, intellectual property, and sensitive documents are secure when printed or copied. But what if I told you that your office copier could be a critical point of failure in your cybersecurity framework? Yes, that seemingly innocuous copier sitting in the corner might be a gateway for data breaches.

Many organizations overlook a critical flaw: copiers have a built-in data leak. These modern machines, often called multifunction devices (MFPs), do much more than print—they scan, fax, email, and store documents. They can even bypass your network security, allowing users to access sensitive information without leaving a trace in your regular security systems.
And that’s not the worst part. You don’t know who is using it, for what purpose, or when.

The Threat You Don’t See: Insider Risk

Insider activities are responsible for 60% of all data breaches. While external cyber-attacks make headlines, insider threats are just as dangerous. Many employees download, save, or send work-related files before leaving a company—45% of them, to be exact. In many cases, unauthorized access to confidential information happens without anyone noticing.

This blind spot is particularly dangerous when it comes to MFPs. Every time a user copies, scans, prints, or faxes a document, the copier stores a version of that file. Without an audit trail, you have no way of knowing who accessed the data or what they did with it.

Until now, identification and mitigation of copier breaches from insider activities have been nearly impossible. But this is where Konica Minolta's Bizhub Secure Alert comes in, providing the breakthrough solution to this long-standing vulnerability.

How Konica Minolta's Bizhub Secure Alert Eliminates Copier Risks

Bizhub Secure Alert is designed to give organizations full visibility into their copier activities. While most MFPs from Konica Minolta already log all user activity, including printing, scanning, copying, faxing, and emailing, Secure Alert takes this to a new level by analyzing these logs in real-time.

Here’s how it works:

  • Activity Monitoring: Bizhub Secure Alert tracks every interaction with your copier, including who used the device and what was printed or scanned. This data is crucial to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
  • Automatic Document Screening: The system screens all documents against a database of keywords and critical data set by you. This can be custom-tailored to your business needs, covering everything from confidential R&D materials to sensitive financial or HR information.
  • Immediate Alerts: If a document is flagged as potentially breaching security protocols, you are notified within 10 minutes. You’ll know exactly what was accessed and by whom, allowing for rapid response before the data leaves your control.
  • Comprehensive Audit Trail: This feature ensures that all actions are logged, providing an unchangeable record of what happened on your copier. In the event of an audit or investigation, this trail is invaluable.

Why Bizhub Secure Alert is Essential for Every Department

The beauty of Bizhub Secure Alert is that it can be deployed across all departments in your organization, from research and development to legal, accounting, financial, human resources, and sales. Every department handles sensitive information, and this low-cost application provides a security net to prevent insider breaches in these critical areas.

Whether you're dealing with proprietary research, legal documents, financial reports, or employee data, this solution helps you protect the crown jewels of your business.

Cloud or On-Premises: Your Choice, Your Control

Bizhub Secure Alert is available in both cloud and on-premises versions, giving you flexibility depending on your organization’s infrastructure. This adaptability ensures that businesses of all sizes can integrate the solution into their existing security architecture seamlessly.

The Bottom Line: Copiers Are No Longer a Security Risk with Konica Minolta

Ignoring copier security is no longer an option. Modern copiers are sophisticated devices capable of bypassing your traditional network defenses, leaving your data vulnerable to unauthorized access. Without a proper security system in place, such as Bizhub Secure Alert, you’re flying blind.

With Bizhub Secure Alert, only Konica Minolta offers a true solution to this critical flaw, ensuring your copiers aren’t the weak link in your cybersecurity strategy. By providing real-time alerts, document screening, and a comprehensive audit trail, Bizhub Secure Alert gives you the peace of mind that your sensitive data stays exactly where it belongs—within your organization.
Don’t let your copier be the cause of your next data breach. Empower your organization with Bizhub Secure Alert, and stay one step ahead of potential insider threats.