Managed Print Services: Reduce Costs and Improve Security

Posted: December 31, 1969 to Cybersecurity.

Managed Print Services: Reduce Costs and Improve Security

Printing is one of those operational expenses that most businesses never scrutinize. The printers sit in hallways and copy rooms, toner gets reordered when someone notices the output is fading, and IT deals with paper jams between more pressing priorities. Meanwhile, the actual cost of printing quietly consumes 1 to 3 percent of annual revenue for the average organization, and the security risks that unsecured print devices introduce to the network go entirely unaddressed.

Managed Print Services, commonly referred to as MPS, takes printing out of the "deal with it when it breaks" category and turns it into a strategically managed function. Having helped businesses across the Raleigh-Durham area and beyond optimize their IT environments for over 23 years, we have seen firsthand how MPS transforms what most people consider a mundane office function into a source of measurable cost savings and improved security.

What Managed Print Services Actually Includes

Managed Print Services is a comprehensive approach to managing an organization's printer fleet, document workflows, and print-related costs. A quality MPS provider takes full responsibility for the print environment, which typically includes the following components.

Fleet assessment and optimization: The engagement begins with a thorough audit of your existing print devices, including printers, copiers, multifunction devices, scanners, and fax machines. The assessment documents device locations, usage volumes, costs per page, device age, and maintenance history. This data reveals inefficiencies such as underutilized devices, excessive color printing, or departments using expensive desktop printers for high-volume jobs that should go to more efficient centralized devices.

Hardware provisioning and lifecycle management: Based on the assessment, the provider recommends the right devices for each location and workload. This includes procuring, deploying, and configuring new equipment, then managing the entire lifecycle from installation through end-of-life disposal. Devices are replaced proactively before they become maintenance headaches.

Supplies management: Toner, ink, and other consumables are monitored automatically and replenished before they run out. No more emergency office supply store runs because someone forgot to reorder. Most MPS programs use monitoring agents on network-connected printers that report toner levels directly to the provider.

Maintenance and support: Break-fix service, preventive maintenance, and technical support are all included. When a device fails, the provider dispatches a technician, often with the necessary parts already in hand because monitoring data predicted the failure.

Print management software: Solutions like PaperCut, Equitrac, or uniFLOW provide visibility into who is printing what, enforce print policies, enable secure print release, and generate detailed reporting on print volumes and costs.

Document workflow optimization: Beyond printing itself, MPS providers help digitize paper-heavy workflows. This might include implementing scan-to-email or scan-to-folder capabilities, integrating with document management systems, or creating automated routing for common document types like invoices or contracts.

The Security Risks Hiding in Your Print Environment

This is where most discussions of managed print services get interesting, and where many businesses are caught off guard. Modern printers are network-connected computers with processors, memory, storage, and operating systems. They process and often store sensitive documents. Yet they are rarely included in security assessments, patching schedules, or network segmentation plans.

Craig Petronella has written extensively about overlooked attack surfaces in his books on cybersecurity, and network printers consistently rank among the most neglected. Here are the specific risks that unmanaged print devices introduce to your environment.

Printers as Network Entry Points

An unsecured printer on your network is an open door for attackers. Default administrative credentials, unpatched firmware, and open network protocols give attackers a foothold from which they can move laterally across your network. In 2020, a researcher demonstrated the ability to use a compromised printer to steal Windows Active Directory credentials, and the underlying vulnerabilities remain relevant today for organizations that do not actively manage their print devices.

Data Stored on Printer Hard Drives

Many multifunction printers contain internal hard drives that store copies of every document scanned, copied, or printed. When these devices are decommissioned, returned to a leasing company, or sent for recycling without proper data sanitization, the stored documents go with them. This has resulted in documented cases of sensitive medical records, financial statements, and legal documents being recovered from used printers purchased on the secondary market.

Print Data Interception

Print jobs transmitted across the network without encryption can be intercepted using readily available network sniffing tools. An attacker with access to your network, or an insider with malicious intent, can capture documents as they travel from computer to printer. This is especially concerning in healthcare and legal environments where printed documents frequently contain highly sensitive information.

Unclaimed Documents in Output Trays

The simplest print security risk requires no technical sophistication at all. Sensitive documents sitting unclaimed in output trays are visible to anyone who walks by. Patient records, employee information, financial reports, and legal correspondence regularly sit exposed in shared printer areas. This is not just a security concern; for HIPAA-covered entities, it is a compliance violation.

How MPS Addresses Print Security

A properly implemented managed print services program addresses each of these risks through a combination of technology controls and operational practices.

Secure print release requires users to authenticate at the printer before their documents are released. Users send print jobs to a central queue, then walk to any printer on the network and authenticate using a badge, PIN, or biometric to release their documents. This eliminates unclaimed documents, reduces waste from accidental prints, and creates an audit trail of who printed what.

Firmware management ensures that all print devices run current, patched firmware. Just as you patch your servers and workstations, print devices need regular updates to address security vulnerabilities. MPS providers monitor firmware versions across the fleet and deploy updates on a scheduled basis.

Network segmentation places print devices on isolated network segments with controlled access. This limits the potential for a compromised printer to serve as a pivot point for broader network attacks.

Encryption protects print data in transit using protocols like IPP over TLS or SNMPv3, preventing interception of documents as they travel across the network.

Hard drive encryption and sanitization protects data stored on printer hard drives. Encryption ensures that stored data cannot be read even if the drive is physically removed. At end of life, drives are securely wiped or physically destroyed following NIST 800-88 guidelines.

Access controls restrict printer functionality based on user roles. Not every employee needs the ability to print in color, scan to external email addresses, or print to devices outside their department. MPS programs configure role-based access that aligns with your security policies.

Cost Savings: Where the Numbers Come From

The cost reduction claims associated with MPS are well documented and typically range from 30 to 50 percent of current print spending. These savings come from several sources.

Fleet right-sizing: Most businesses have more printers than they need, and the devices they have are often poorly matched to actual workloads. The initial assessment frequently reveals opportunities to consolidate devices, replacing multiple underutilized desktop printers with fewer, more efficient multifunction devices. Fewer devices mean lower hardware costs, less energy consumption, and reduced maintenance overhead.

Reduced waste: Secure print release alone typically reduces overall print volume by 10 to 30 percent. When employees must walk to a printer and authenticate to retrieve their documents, they print less impulsively. Duplicate prints, test pages, and documents printed by mistake no longer pile up in output trays.

Optimized supplies procurement: MPS providers negotiate volume pricing on toner and consumables that individual businesses cannot access on their own. Automated supply management also eliminates rush orders and the markup that comes with them.

Predictable budgeting: Most MPS contracts are structured as a per-page cost that includes hardware, supplies, maintenance, and support. This converts unpredictable capital expenses and surprise repair bills into a consistent, predictable monthly operating expense. Finance teams appreciate the budget clarity, and IT teams appreciate not having to manage vendor relationships for dozens of different printer models.

Reduced IT burden: Printer support tickets consume more IT staff time than most organizations realize. Paper jams, driver issues, connectivity problems, and toner replacements are individually minor but collectively significant. MPS shifts this burden to the provider, freeing internal IT resources for higher-value work.

Environmental Benefits

Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration for businesses, and MPS contributes to environmental goals in several measurable ways. Fleet optimization reduces energy consumption by eliminating redundant devices. Print reduction programs decrease paper usage, which translates directly to fewer trees harvested, less water consumed in manufacturing, and lower transportation emissions. Responsible end-of-life device management ensures that electronic waste is recycled properly rather than ending up in landfills. Some MPS providers offer carbon-neutral programs that offset the environmental impact of remaining print activity.

For organizations reporting on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics, MPS provides documented, quantifiable improvements that contribute to sustainability targets.

Compliance Considerations

Print security intersects with compliance requirements more than most organizations recognize. Several frameworks include provisions that directly impact how print environments should be managed.

HIPAA requires covered entities to implement safeguards that protect the confidentiality of protected health information in all forms, including printed documents. The Security Rule's administrative, physical, and technical safeguard requirements extend to print devices and printed output. Secure print release, access controls, and audit logging are all relevant controls for HIPAA compliance.

CMMC includes requirements around media protection, access control, and audit and accountability that apply to print environments processing controlled unclassified information. Defense contractors pursuing CMMC certification must ensure their print infrastructure meets applicable practice requirements.

PCI DSS requires that printed cardholder data be protected from unauthorized access. Organizations processing payment card information must control who can print cardholder data, secure printed output, and properly destroy printed documents when no longer needed.

At Petronella Technology Group, we built our managed IT services practice with security as the foundation, not an afterthought. Our ComplianceArmor platform helps organizations document and maintain compliance across multiple frameworks, and print security is one of the operational areas we assess as part of comprehensive compliance programs. Print devices that operate outside your compliance scope create gaps that auditors will find.

Choosing a Managed Print Services Provider

Not all MPS providers are created equal. When evaluating potential partners, consider the following criteria.

Security expertise: Your MPS provider will be managing devices that connect to your network and process sensitive documents. They must demonstrate competency in print security, including encryption, access controls, firmware management, and secure disposal. Ask specifically about their approach to securing print devices and how they integrate with your broader security program.

Vendor neutrality: Some MPS providers represent a single printer manufacturer and will recommend that brand regardless of whether it is the best fit for your environment. Look for providers who work across multiple brands and recommend solutions based on your specific needs.

Reporting and analytics: Quality MPS programs provide regular reporting that shows print volumes, cost trends, device utilization, and security metrics. This data should be accessible through an online portal and reviewed in periodic business reviews with your provider.

Scalability: Your print needs will change as your business grows, adds locations, or shifts toward more digital workflows. Choose a provider who can scale services up or down and who proactively recommends adjustments as your environment evolves.

Integration with IT services: Print management does not exist in isolation. The most effective MPS relationships are with providers who also understand your broader IT environment, including network architecture, security policies, and compliance requirements. This is one reason many organizations choose to source MPS from the same provider that manages their overall IT infrastructure.

If your organization is still managing printers reactively, dealing with break-fix issues as they arise and reordering supplies when they run out, you are almost certainly spending more than necessary and carrying security risks that have not been assessed. A managed print services evaluation costs nothing but reveals exactly where your print environment stands and how much room there is for improvement. Contact our team to start the conversation.