Document security is a crucial consideration for any organization, as it allows businesses to protect sensitive information. Multifunction printers (MFPs), which print, scan, and copy sensitive documents, are a common point of vulnerability for such organizations and are sometimes neglected by an organization's overall security infrastructure. BreachAlert allows security teams to monitor user activity on MFPs and prevent unauthorized access.
In this article, we’ll explore the risks associated with document security and how BreachAlert can help mitigate them.
Understanding Document Security Risks
Document security can be compromised in a variety of ways, ranging from external threats to internal negligence. Breaches can include unauthorized access to sensitive information, data leaks through improper sharing, insider threats from employees or contractors, and targeted cyberattacks.
Multifunction printers (MFPs) are commonly used by businesses across many different industries. Despite their widespread use, they are frequently overlooked as potential security vulnerabilities. This can be a pricey mistake, as MFPs handle sensitive information on a daily basis, and are often used by people at all levels of an organization.
For example, if one employee prints a confidential financial report but forgets to retrieve it, that data could be exposed to anyone who interacts with that printer, whether they are authorized to view the data or not.
Thoroughly understanding these risks is important for any organization to build an effective document security strategy.
What is BreachAlert?
BreachAlert is a document security feature of the DocRecord electronic content management system, which was created by Prism Software. It was specifically developed to enhance security of Konica Minolta’s MFPs. BreachAlert provides real-time monitoring of user activity on these printers, allowing organizations to:
- Track who used the printer, for what, and when
- Get alerts of security breaches
- Maintain audit trails of all user activity
By integrating BreachAlert into your document management processes, you can improve your ability to detect and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information, while also addressing a frequently forgotten vulnerability in many organizations’ security position.
How BreachAlert Works
BreachAlert continuously monitors user activity on all MFPs and connected devices it is associated with. This continuous monitoring includes:
- Real-time activity tracking
- User authentication
- Content analysis
- Anomaly detection
- Instant alerts of suspected breaches
Here’s how this multi-layered approach to document security looks in action: Let’s say an employee attempts to print a sensitive document containing customer data outside normal business hours. BreachAlert would flag this as unusual activity, log it, and send an alert to the IT security team to be investigated. As a result, not only can the team intervene quickly, but the event is recorded for review and potential audit later.
This 24/7 monitoring and analysis capability makes it a powerful tool for organizations that need robust security to protect against potential threats.
Why Implement BreachAlert?
BreachAlert can benefit your organization in a number of important ways:
Enhanced Document Security
BreachAlert can improve an organization’s document security by reducing the risk of unauthorized access. Its comprehensive monitoring and real time alerts instantly flag potential breaches for investigation and mitigation. This helps protect intellectual property, customer data, and other confidential business information.
By creating a more secure document handling environment, organizations can maintain the trust of clients and partners, and safeguard their reputation for responsibility and discretion in an increasingly security-conscious landscape.
Improved Compliance and Risk Management
Many industries must comply with strict data protection and privacy regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX. BreachAlert helps those organizations stay compliant by providing detailed audit trails regarding document access and MFP usage.
This allows organizations to demonstrate due diligence in safeguarding protected information. It also makes it easier to identify and address potential compliance issues proactively, reducing the risk of penalties and legal complications.
Cost Savings from Prevented Breaches
Data breaches can have significant financial impacts, from direct costs like legal fees and fines to indirect costs like reputational damage and lost business. By preventing breaches before they happen, BreachAlert can save substantial amounts of money in the long run.
For example, imagine that you work for a financial services company that has recently implemented BreachAlert. If the software detects and prevents an attempted data exfiltration by a disgruntled employee, it could save the company millions of dollars in regulatory fines, legal fees, and reputational damage.
Best Practices for Maximizing BreachAlert's Effectiveness
To make the most of BreachAlert’s capabilities, follow these best practices:
- Be Proactive: Before implementing BreachAlert for the first time, comprehensively assess your current document security position. This will give you better context for implementation.
- Customize Your Setup: Set your alert thresholds based on your unique organizational needs and risk tolerance.
- Be Consistent: Integrate BreachAlert effectively with existing IT systems and workflows to ensure seamless operation.
- Educate Your Team: Provide thorough training to all employees on document security principles and proper BreachAlert usage.
- Set Clear Guidelines: Develop and communicate straightforward document handling procedures to all staff members.
- Stay Vigilant: Regularly review BreachAlert logs and reports to spot trends or potential security concerns.
- Adapt and Improve: Continuously refine your security protocols based on insights gained from BreachAlert monitoring.
- Keep Current: Stay informed about emerging document security threats and update BreachAlert settings as needed.
- Maintain the System: Perform regular software updates to ensure BreachAlert has the latest security features.
- Encourage Communication: Foster open dialogue between IT security personnel and other departments to address security concerns and suggestions promptly.
By following these best practices, you can make sure BreachAlert is tailored to your company’s needs, integrate it into your security infrastructure, and optimize it to provide robust protection against the latest document security threats.
Meridian: Your Partner in Robust Document Security
No matter what size company or what industry you operate in, document security is a must for your organization. With BreachAlert, you can easily monitor and secure all your sensitive documents, particularly with respect to often-overlooked company infrastructure like multifunction printers.
As threats continue to evolve, these types of solutions will become increasingly important. As such, implementing a solution like this one is essential to set yourself up for success and mitigate risk in the future. Meridian can help. With our in-depth experience in information management, IT, and IT security, we can help you assess your current vulnerabilities and implement the right systems and solutions—like BreachAlert.
To assess your current vulnerabilities and find the right solution, contact Meridian today.
