Enhancing Security Across the Print Fleet Lifecycle

HP Wolf Security’s latest research reveals how a lifecycle approach to printer security can reduce risk and strengthen cyber resilience.

Few people view printers as high-tech office tools, but they’re actually complex, connected devices with storage and network capabilities. According to HP Wolf Security’s latest report, Securing the Print Estate: A Proactive Lifecycle Approach to Cyber Resilience, printer fleets are a serious enterprise risk often neglected in security planning and lifecycle management.

A Critical Gap in Endpoint Security

The report highlights security breakdowns at every stage of the printer lifecycle. At the procurement stage, only 38% of IT and security decision-makers (ITSDMs) say their teams work together to define printer security standards. Meanwhile, 60% believe this lack of collaboration increases organizational risk.

During ongoing management, only 36% of ITSDMs report applying firmware updates promptly, despite these updates being essential to patch known vulnerabilities. As printers age, unpatched devices become easy targets for attackers.

Data exposure remains a significant concern at end-of-life. While 60% of printers are recycled, only 13% are securely destroyed, meaning sensitive data may remain on internal drives and leave the organization vulnerable.

Risks aren’t limited to cyberattacks. 70% of IT leaders are increasingly concerned about offline threats, such as employees printing and removing confidential documents without oversight.

However, taking a lifecycle approach to print security helps organizations build stronger, more resilient IT environments. By securing printers from acquisition through decommissioning, businesses can reduce risk and maintain trust in their print infrastructure as a fully integrated part of their technology ecosystem.

Securing Every Stage of the Printer Lifecycle

“When printer platform security is proactively managed and built-in at the foundations, organizations can reduce risks such as data theft, print job interception, ransomware, zero-day, and man-in-the-middle attacks.”

– Steve Inch, Global Senior Print Security Strategist & Product Management Lead at HP Inc.

IT teams must secure printers like any other endpoint at every stage of their lifecycle. HP Wolf Security recommends several ways to reduce risk with clear, practical actions at each stage.

Supplier selection and onboarding

Organizations can start by ensuring that IT, security, and procurement teams work together to define clear security requirements for new printers. They can also ask vendors for detailed technical documentation and proof of their security claims, prioritizing suppliers with certified products and secure supply chain practices.

Ongoing management

Printers should receive timely firmware updates to reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities. Security tools can help enforce consistent configurations across the fleet. Integrating printer logs with SIEM systems enables continuous monitoring and supports compliance efforts.

Remediation

Printers with built-in threat detection and recovery capabilities offer stronger protection against advanced attacks, including zero-day threats. Monitoring device activity through audit logs helps identify unauthorized changes. Encrypted printing and data loss prevention features reduce the risk of exposing sensitive information.

End of life and decommissioning

Finally, printers must be able to securely erase stored data at the end of life. Devices with encrypted storage and secure deletion methods—such as cryptographic erasure or multi-pass overwriting—support safe recycling, resale, or internal redeployment.

Printer Fleet Management with the HP Workforce Experience Platform

The HP Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) integrates print into unified device fleet management, offering fleet-wide visibility, real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and automation, currently available in beta for HP FutureSmart 5 printers¹. It allows organizations to manage print infrastructure with the same discipline as PCs and other endpoints. With AI-powered insights, WXP enables early detection and insights for troubleshooting, shifting print management from reactive to proactive. 

In a world where cyber crimes are more frequent and sophisticated, HP Wolf Security’s report is a wake-up call to print fleet vulnerabilities. By embedding print security into the workforce experience strategy and managing it with the same rigor as other endpoints, organizations can bring the traditional print function into the era of secure digital work.

HP Workforce Experience Platform is a comprehensive and modular digital employee experience solution that enables organizations to optimize IT for every employee’s needs.  

If you want to learn more about the HP Workforce Experience Platform, we would love to speak to you! Simply fill out the form below, and a team member will be in touch.

¹Print capabilities are available to select beta customers in the US only. Print is planned to be available in a future release in various tiers as an add-on solution in various term licenses.