High performance ID and access card printers are electronic card printers which prints and personalise high-quality ID and access cards for security purposes. The personalised ID and access cards used in the card printer are usually made of PVC plastic and require laminating and punching if need be. There is a wide variety of card printers in the market, with different specifications such as: printing volume, card thickness, dual sided printing and encoding options for enterprise use. In today’s context, most businesses operate on a seamless integration with the internet, where devices that once served only a single purpose are now integrated to get multiple chores done efficiently. These connected devices gives businesses a much needed competitive edge in the market place. ID card printers are one of the most commonly found technology in the modern office space. Card printers that were once used by government entities for printing secured identification tag and access control, are now common office equipment used in a connected office network. Instead of its sole purpose as a security tool, ID or access card are now used to collect valuable data that could be used to provide better insights to support backend operations. While integrated networks provide us with a substantial level of convenience, we also bear risks of our as data being exposed to networks that could potentially be breached by unwanted parties. Essential data such as staff information should be kept confidential. Hence, it is important that companies should implement an internal card printing system to minimise cyber vulnerabilities. Here are some of the areas to look into for a secured card printing system:
Choose Card Printer with Physical Locks
A card printer should ideally be secured under lock and key. A physical lock serves to prevent or discourage potential tampering of the card printer machine. The card printer should be accessible only to authorised key operators.
Encryption of Confidential Identity Data
Make sure the card printing system you are looking into, has the ability to produce a secure ID encryption from the host network, all the way to the physical printer. Modern printers run on AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption. Choose card printers that can process encrypted data directly for better security.
Strong Remote Printer Management System
Modern card printers are equipped with a remote device management system. This gives you the dual advantage of monitoring the state of the card printer remotely via real time usage. For example, the identity of the person accessing the card printer can be traced; the state of the machine such as ink cartridge levels, secure holograms, balance of blank cards and all other feature functions can be remotely checked. For added security, you can be alerted by pre-set alarms, if certain untoward tasks are taking place with the printer. If necessary, you can shut the system down remotely.
Other Security Measures
There will always be trade-offs for privacy when one opts for convenience. However, it is up to us to reduce risks to the minimum.
- Access to secured identity data should be kept to minimal personnel preferably with access rights given to the most senior officer. By doing so, you minimise the risks of data leakage.
- Connections to printer should only be granted on demand. These secured connections to identity database should only be accessible when needed. Open connection leads to unnecessary security risks.
- Always make sure firewalls are on, and are configured to block unauthorised connections.
- Run scheduled virus and malware scans on incoming and outgoing data.
A well designed card printing system ensures that your organisation can reap the full benefits of a smart and connected card printing system. So keep these protection tips in mind to ensure an efficient and secured workplace.
