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How Secure Printing Can Keep Sensitive and Confidential Information Safe
Wed May 04, 2022 | Admin
Law files, medical records, client information, human resources and employee paperwork are just a few examples of documents that are often printed on a shared printer, but contain information that should not be shared. Providing the tools for employees to properly handle private and confidential information is the responsibility of the organization.
BONUS: Included are standard step-by-step instructions to using the secure print features of a multi-function printer.
WHY YOU NEED SECURE PRINTING
Virtually every business works with confidential information. A few examples include employees’ tax information, salary and insurance details, medical information, legal documentation, student records or termination papers. Depending on the nature of your business, you might also be dealing with confidential customer information. Everything from payment information and credit card numbers to home addresses – incredibly valuable information for identity thieves. It is your responsibility, as an organization and employer, to keep this information secure. Secure printing software can be an important part of your security process.
Secure printing software is one tool that controls the transfer and production of sensitive information. It works by tying the user to the document by requiring that user to identify him/herself at the printer (via a PIN# or ID card) before production will begin. This ensures that the confidential/private documents don’t get lost in the paper shuffle or picked up by unauthorized viewers. But before going into detail on secure printing software, we want to share a helpful guide that you—or anyone in your company—can follow to get a head start on printing securely.
BONUS: SECURE PRINTING GUIDE | HOW TO SAFELY PRINT CONFIDENTIAL DATA AND DOCUMENTS
Secure print features on today’s multi-function and standard print devices allow you to manually set documents to print confidentially. By doing so, you eliminate the risk of someone viewing sensitive information or taking important documents. Whether you’re printing employee salary information or patient files, secure print can be useful in many different organizational scenarios.
Here’s a standard step-by-step guide to using the secure print features of a multi-function printer.
The screens and instructions you see below may vary slightly based on the type of computer you use and the printer you are connected to. Pictured below is the award-winning Konica Minolta’s Bizhub, a popular choice among the business industry.
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SECURE PRINT INSTRUCTIONS FOR PC (MAC INSTRUCTIONS BELOW)
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Select File>Print within the application of the document you want to secure print.
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Click the Printer Properties link that sits under the Printer selection drop-down menu.
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In the pop-up window, on the first tab that appears, find the Output Method section, and select Secure Print from the drop-down menu.
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Another new window will pop up, where you’ll be asked to create a Secure Print ID and Password (which you’ll be asked to enter on the Printer in order to release your document to print). Click OK when that is complete.
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Clicking OK will make that pop-up window disappear. Finish adjusting your print settings to your preferences in the window that remains. When ready to send your document to the printer, hit OK.
[Proceed to step #6 if you don’t use a Mac.]
SECURE PRINT INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAC
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Select File>Print within the application of the document you want to secure print.
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In the second drop-down menu under Presets, select Output Method.
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In the Output Method window, select Secure Print in the drop-down menu.
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A pop-up window will appear. In that window:
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Create a Secure Print ID of your choice.
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Create a Password of your choice.
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Click OK.
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Clicking OK will make that pop-up window disappear. Finish adjusting your print settings to your preferences in the window that remains. When ready to send your document to the printer, hit Print.
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When you are ready to pick up your document, head to the printer. Select the User Box option.
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On the next screen, navigate to the System User Box option.
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Within the System User Box, select the Secure Print option.
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The next screen will ask you to enter a Document ID and Password. Enter the information you created in step #4. Click OK when you are finished.
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This will take you to a screen with any documents ready to be printed securely associated with that User ID and Password. Select the file you wish to print.
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After selecting the document, you can adjust any print settings by selecting the Print option on the right side of the screen.
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Hit the start button on your printer/copier/multi-function device when you are ready to print, et voilà!
Want Secure Printing? Stuck in a Lease? We can help!
The alternative to secure printing software is placing the responsibility of secure printing on individuals and individual departments alike. Beyond manually setting up secure printing, some businesses also elect to provide personal printers to individuals who need to regularly print securely, like human resources employees. Private access to a personal printer is one way businesses ensure documents are handled only by authorized users, the same way secure printing does. Printing to shared printers with secure printing capabilities is often more cost effective because the device can be used by more employees, rather than limited to only those that are approved to handle confidential information.
Secure printing requires only following these few easy-steps that can help your business eliminate huge risks. Share this step-by-step guide with team members who could also benefit from this feature. If you’re looking for a more in-depth, secure business printing and document management, consider IQmfp.
Document Management Software Solutions
IQmfp is document management software solution with secure features that prevents documents from falling into the wrong hands. Benefits include file tracking, record compliance, digital filing, digital management, OCR (optical character recognition), auditing, security, plus more!
In addition to helping reduce waste and costs; recent software update releases includes the integration with DocuSign, the leader in electronic signatures. These are only several features of IQmfp —for more features and benefits of this document management software, click here.
Secure printing seeks to minimize the risk of exposing confidential information, and helps keep both your employees’ and customers’ information safe. To assess your environment and discover which is right for your organization, request a free document management solution assessment here.
How does your business manage its documents and files? Are you utilizing secure printing features? Document Management Software and/or Solutions? We love hearing about what works and doesn’t work for you; please feel free to share!