Most organizations audit their networks, cloud services and endpoints thoroughly, yet leave print and scan out of scope. That is a growing blind spot. Printers, multifunction printers (MFPs), scanning workflows and print management servers handle some of the most sensitive documents a business produces, and they connect directly to the corporate directory, email, file shares and cloud storage.
Ringdale's Global Imaging & Printing Threat Landscape 2026 shows why that matters. Every print-related vulnerability added to the US government's catalog of actively exploited flaws in the past year concerned print management software, several device advisories involved authentication switched off by default, and 13,547 printers were reachable from the public internet.
Why print and scan belong in every information security audit
An information security audit is a structured assessment of an organization's policies, controls and practices for protecting data. When print and scan are left out, the audit misses:
- Servers that hold privileged access: print management and print servers often run with high privileges and store directory service account credentials.
- Devices that act as network endpoints: MFPs have operating systems, web administration interfaces, network services and local storage.
- Credentials stored on devices: accounts used for directory lookups, scan-to-email and scan-to-folder.
- Scanned documents: once paper is scanned, it becomes electronic data that travels by email, to network folders and cloud storage, or into business systems. Every destination is a place sensitive information can leak.
- Physical documents: uncollected output, disposal and the decommissioning of devices that store data.
Including print and scan gives a complete picture of how information moves through the organization, and where it is most exposed.
What a print and scan security audit should check
Use this as a starting point for scoping print and scan in your next audit:
| Area | What to check |
| Print management and print servers | Patch level, exposure of administration consoles to the internet and user networks, privileges of service accounts, and logs of configuration changes |
| Printers and MFPs | Default passwords changed, authentication enabled, unused services and ports disabled, firmware supported and current |
| Stored credentials | Directory, email and file share accounts used by devices and servers follow least privilege and are rotated regularly |
| Print jobs | Jobs encrypted in transit, and released only after the user authenticates at the device |
| Scanning | Scanning available only after the user authenticates at the device, scan-to-email sent through authenticated, approved mail routes, and scan-to-folder restricted to approved locations |
| Scan workflows and destinations | Connections to cloud storage, document management and business systems use approved, least-privilege accounts; scanned files are protected in transit; and destinations apply the same access and retention rules as other business records |
| Logging and monitoring | Every print, copy and scan tied to a user; administrator changes recorded; logs forwarded off the server so they cannot be quietly deleted |
| Physical documents and devices | Uncollected output, secure disposal of paper, and device storage wiped before a printer is moved, returned or retired |
Common gaps audits uncover
- Insecure defaults. In the past year, several device advisories concerned authentication switched off by default or services left open. These are quick to find and fix during an audit.
- Exposed administration interfaces. Device and server consoles reachable from the internet or general user networks give attackers an easy starting point.
- Credentials at risk. Security researchers have shown how an attacker with administrative access to some MFPs can redirect a directory lookup and capture the stored service account credentials.
- Uncontrolled scan destinations. Scan-to-email to any address, or scans saved to open network shares, let sensitive documents leave the organization with no record of who sent them.
- Unsupported devices. Printers that no longer receive firmware updates stay vulnerable for the rest of their working life.
- Missing or deletable logs. Without central, tamper-resistant logs, an organization cannot show who handled a document, or reconstruct what an attacker changed.
- Unclear vendor security processes. Ringdale's research found 7 of 23 print management products with no public security advisory page or reporting channel. Ask every supplier how they disclose and fix vulnerabilities.
What the standards expect
Regular testing of security controls is a requirement across the major frameworks, and print and scan fall within their scope:
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022: internal audits of the information security management system, supported by Annex A controls for configuration management, logging, clear desk and the secure disposal or reuse of equipment.
- GDPR Article 32: a process for regularly testing, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of security measures.
- HIPAA Security Rule: audit controls and regular review of information system activity for systems handling electronic patient information, which includes paper records once they are scanned.
- NIS2: policies and procedures to assess the effectiveness of cybersecurity risk-management measures.
For a wider view of how print maps to these frameworks, read Managing Printing Proactively: Securing Information and Preventing Data Loss.
How FollowMe supports print and scan security audits
FollowMe gives auditors the visibility and evidence that unmanaged print and scan environments lack:
- Complete audit trail: every print, copy and scan is tied to an authenticated user, device and time.
- Secure release: jobs are held until the owner authenticates at the device.
- Secure scanning and workflows: users sign in before they scan, and documents are routed to approved destinations such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Box and Google Drive.
- Encryption: print jobs are protected in transit and at rest.
- Data loss prevention: print restriction, archiving and compliance auditing help keep sensitive information from leaving through print.
- Central policy across all brands: one set of rules applies across a mixed fleet of devices.
Ringdale's consultancy and advice team can also assess your print and scan environment, identify gaps and help you prioritize what to fix first.
If you don't audit it, you can't secure it
Printers and MFPs are no longer simple peripherals. They are connected endpoints with storage, administration consoles and access to core business systems, and the servers that manage them are now a target in their own right. Bringing print and scan into your audit scope closes one of the last unexamined parts of the attack surface.
Planning your next security audit? Contact us to discuss how Ringdale can help you assess and reduce your print and scan risk.
Key sources: Ringdale, Global Imaging & Printing Threat Landscape 2026; ISO/IEC 27001:2022; GDPR Article 32.