Secure print release
Hold documents until the authorised user authenticates at an approved device.
Print & Device Security
Managed Print Security
Printers and multifunction devices are network-connected systems that process business documents every day. Managed print security is about controlling the devices, users, print jobs and workflows around them.
A secure managed print environment can combine device hardening, user authentication, secure release, firmware management, access controls and print auditing as part of a wider information-security approach.
Quick answer
What is managed print security?
Managed print security is the structured protection of printers, multifunction devices, print jobs and related workflows. It can include secure release, authentication, access controls, device hardening, firmware management, print auditing, secure scan settings and consistent security configuration across the fleet.
Core Controls
Key managed print security controls
The correct controls depend on the organisation, but these are the main areas to assess in a modern print environment.
User authentication
Identify users before allowing printing, copying, scanning or other functions where required.
Device hardening
Disable unnecessary services, change default credentials and configure devices around the organisation’s security requirements.
Firmware management
Maintain a controlled process for reviewing and applying appropriate device firmware updates.
Print auditing
Use supported software to improve visibility of print activity and investigate unusual patterns.
Secure workflows
Control scan-to-email, scan-to-folder and other workflows so devices do not become uncontrolled routes for business information.
Why printers need to be treated as network devices
Modern multifunction devices do far more than put toner on paper. They communicate across the network, process scanned documents, connect to email or file locations and often include local storage and administrative interfaces.
That means they should be included in the same asset-management and security conversations as other network-connected equipment.
Common oversight
A printer can remain in service for years. If nobody owns firmware, credentials, network settings or retirement procedures, the device can gradually drift away from the organisation’s current security standards.
Secure print release
One of the most visible print-security risks is also one of the simplest: a confidential document prints immediately and sits unattended on a shared output tray.
Secure release changes that process. The job is held until the user authenticates at an approved device, helping ensure that the person who requested the document is present when it is produced.
This can also reduce abandoned print because jobs that are never released do not need to be printed.
User authentication and access control
Authentication allows the print environment to distinguish between users rather than treating every person at a device the same way.
Depending on the solution, users may authenticate with a PIN, credentials, card or supported identity integration. Permissions can then be aligned with business requirements.
Printing
Restrict access to selected printers or secure-release queues.
Colour
Limit or control colour printing for particular groups.
Scanning
Control who can access scan workflows and destinations.
Copying
Apply usage or access restrictions where required.
Printer and MFD hardening
Device hardening means reducing unnecessary exposure and configuring each printer around the security requirements of the organisation.
A hardening review can include
Changing default administrator credentials
Disabling unnecessary protocols and services
Restricting management interfaces
Reviewing address-book permissions
Controlling external scan destinations
Applying appropriate encryption settings
Reviewing stored data settings
Documenting secure decommissioning requirements
Firmware and update management
A printer should not be installed and then ignored for the rest of its life.
Manufacturers may release firmware for security, stability, feature or compatibility reasons. Businesses should have a defined process for reviewing updates and applying them appropriately rather than leaving device software unmanaged.
Updates should also be controlled. In a managed environment, changes should be tested and documented where the organisation’s change-management requirements call for it.
Network security around printers
Print security is not only a device setting. The printer exists within the wider network, so the surrounding architecture matters too.
Network teams may need to consider segmentation, permitted protocols, firewall rules, administrative access, DNS, certificate handling and which systems are allowed to communicate with the devices.
The appropriate design depends on the organisation’s network and security model.
Secure scanning and document workflows
Multifunction devices can send documents to email, folders, cloud platforms and workflow systems. Those routes should be configured deliberately rather than left open by default.
Businesses should consider who can scan, which destinations are available, how credentials are handled and whether address books or shared destinations expose information unnecessarily.
Print auditing and reporting
Print-management software can improve visibility of who is printing, where volume is being generated and whether unusual patterns need investigation.
The exact level of logging should be proportionate to the organisation’s purpose and privacy requirements. More data is not automatically better.
Managed print security and GDPR
Managed print security can support data-protection measures, but no printer feature, software package or managed print service makes an organisation GDPR compliant by itself.
Secure release can reduce confidential documents being left unattended. Authentication can help control access. Audit data can improve accountability. Secure device configuration can reduce unnecessary exposure.
Those controls need to sit within the organisation’s broader policies, lawful processing, access management, retention, incident response and data-protection framework.
Secure printer decommissioning
Security should continue when a device leaves the fleet.
The business should understand what storage the device contains, what settings or address-book information remain on it and what process is used to clear or securely handle data before disposal, resale or return.
A managed print lifecycle should therefore cover installation, operation, updates and eventual retirement.
Defence in depth
Print security works best in layers
No individual control solves every print-security risk. A stronger environment combines user, device, network and operational controls.
User layer
Authentication, secure release and permissions.
Device layer
Hardening, firmware, credentials and configuration.
Network layer
Segmentation, protocols and administrative access.
Process layer
Monitoring, reviews, change control and decommissioning.
Keep researching
Related managed print guides
Managed Print Software
Explore authentication, secure release, reporting and print policies.
Remote Managed Print
Understand monitoring software, data collection and remote fleet visibility.
Choosing an MPS Provider
Learn what security questions to ask before selecting a supplier.
Benefits of Managed Print
See where security fits alongside cost control, uptime, administration and fleet visibility.
FAQs
Managed Print Security FAQs
What is managed print security?
Managed print security is the combination of controls used to protect printers, multifunction devices, print jobs and related workflows. This can include secure release, user authentication, access restrictions, device hardening, firmware management, print auditing and secure scan configuration.
Are printers a security risk?
They can be. Modern printers and multifunction devices are network-connected systems that process documents, user credentials and scan workflows. Poorly configured or outdated devices can create unnecessary security exposure.
What is secure print release?
Secure print release holds a job until the authorised user authenticates at an approved device. This reduces the chance of confidential documents being left unattended on an output tray.
Does managed print make a business GDPR compliant?
No single managed print feature or service makes an organisation GDPR compliant. Print security controls can support wider data-protection measures by reducing unnecessary access to documents and improving control over print workflows.
Should printer firmware be updated?
Firmware management should form part of a device-security approach. Updates may contain security fixes, stability improvements or compatibility changes, so businesses should have a controlled process for reviewing and applying appropriate updates.
Can managed print restrict who uses colour, scan or copy functions?
Yes, depending on the device and software. User authentication and role-based controls can be used to restrict specific functions, devices or workflows.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Include printers in your wider security strategy
The Zero Group can review your printer and multifunction device estate, user requirements and print workflows and help you identify practical security controls.