Printers remain a security weakness

Criminals will find any weak link to get into a network and wreak havoc, and printers remain an area where more work is needed to improve defences.

Quocirca’s Print security landscape 2026 report is a reminder of the need to improve security around print infrastructure, especially with growing concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) being used to create more sophisticated print-related threats.

The headline finding of the research is that 67% of organisations across the UK, France, Germany and the US experienced at least one print-related data loss in the past year, an increase of 11% compared with last year.

Some customers suffered multiple incidents, with the average cost of each print-related breach an eye-watering £1m. That is a significant increase on the £820,000 figure from a year ago.

One explanation for the rising number of attacks is that customers are failing to understand the risks presented by the print infrastructure, which should create opportunities for partners to play an educational and supportive role.

Managed print players were seen as a good source of security strategy, given their existing position as trusted advisers.

“As AI-enabled attacks proliferate and the post-quantum cryptography era approaches, addressing print security through a layered, continuously managed print security strategy that protects devices, users, documents and workflows as part of the wider enterprise security environment is essential,” said Quocirca CEO Louella Fernandes.

The report also highlighted a growing gap between customers that recognise the risk posed by print infrastructure and workflows, and those that continue to underestimate the challenges. There was a clear link between those that had invested in print security and the reduced volume of data losses through breaches.

“Our research clearly shows that organisations with a well-defined print security strategy, who conduct regular assessments and optimisation exercises, benefit from a significantly stronger security posture than those who do not,” added Fernandes.

Quocirca has previously highlighted the challenges posed by mixed printer fleets, whereby an estate includes equipment from various vendors, with the number of customers operating those environments rising to 64% from 59% last year. The analyst firm restated the additional management challenges for users and the increased risks for those that fail to acknowledge that situation.

When it came to signalling where customers were spending on security, the list was topped by identity services, with AI tools also on the rise.

The report found that the print vendor community was also reacting to security demands, and many were innovating to ensure security was not just embedded in devices but also covered endpoints, identity and workflows.

The need for the print world to react to risks also came from the rise of AI threats, compliance requirements and the requirement to include all printing infrastructure in risk assessments.

“The security landscape is changing fast, and regulatory pressure is forcing organisations to develop more comprehensive strategies for managing cyber and data risk that fully incorporate the print environment,” said Fernandes.

“Vendors are strongly focused on developing innovative security solutions across the print lifecycle, and they must support these with clear messaging that educates the market, focusing on security outcomes and the benefits of achieving strong print security governance that integrates with broader cyber security, identity, cloud and compliance programmes,” she concluded.