Printer Firmware Gaps Leave Organizations Exposed

New research from HP Wolf Security reveals that printer platform security – firmware and hardware protection – is being neglected, exposing organizations to security threats that can exfiltrate critical data and hijack devices.

Printers are now smart, connected devices storing sensitive data and operating on long refresh cycles. If left unsecured, they become long-term entry points for data breaches and firmware-based attacks.

The global study, based on 800+ ITSDMs, shows only 36% of IT and security decision-makers apply printer firmware updates promptly, even though IT teams spend an average of 3.5 hours per printer each month managing security issues.

The report also found security gaps across the other stages of the printer’s lifecycle, including:

  • Supplier Selection & Onboarding: Just 38% of ITSDMs say procurement, IT, and security teams collaborate on printer security standards, with 60% warning that lack of collaboration increases risk.
  • Remediation: 70% of ITSDMs are now more worried about offline print risks, like sensitive documents being printed or mishandled by employees.
  • Decommissioning: 86% of ITSDMs say data security concerns block printer reuse or recycling, even as approximately eighty printers per organization sit idle or near end-of-life.

The link to the live report from HP is here: https://www.hp.com/content/dam/sites/garage-press/press/press-kits/2025/hp-wolf-security-study-reveals-gaps-in-print-security-leaving-devices-vulnerable-to-risk/Print%20Lifecycle%20Short%20Report.pdf

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