How Managed Print Helps With Regulation and Standards Compliance

To put it bluntly, regulatory agencies are no longer playing around. Failure to comply can result in increasingly hefty fines and legal repercussions, not to mention lasting damage to a company’s reputation. However, one relatively easy way to increase security organization-wide is often overlooked by the organizations that need it the most!

Proper print security can prevent confidential information, sensitive data, and proprietary documents from falling into the wrong hands. It can also help prevent ransomware and other devastating cyberattacks. In this blog, we’ll explore how managed print services can quickly help organizations secure their print environment and meet compliance requirements while providing additional money-saving benefits.

But first, let’s go over a few basics…

What Is Managed Print? 

In a nutshell, managed print services (MPS) involves outsourcing the management and maintenance of an organization’s printing devices to a third-party provider. However, MPS providers do much more than that. 

Every provider is different, but MPS offerings will typically include: 

• An initial print assessment to discover potential cost-saving opportunities and underlying risks
• Print fleet optimization, including right-sizing, relocating, and upgrading equipment
• Centralized print management, including software updates, monitoring, and reporting
• Establishing and enforcing print policies to reduce waste and cost and improve security
• Automated supply ordering
• Maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs

Some providers will also offer specialized print security services, like data encryption, establishing secure printing, secure decommissioning, security updates, and more. But whether those tasks are performed by a provider or an in-house team, it’s incredibly important that they get done. Nowadays, networked printers represent yet another potential entry point for hackers, so protecting your printers is also critical to protecting your critical infrastructure and systems. 

How MPS Can Benefit Businesses With Regulatory Compliance Needs

Here are six ways an MPS provider can make it easier for businesses to meet compliance: 

1. They may be able to implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data, including secure printing protocols, encryption for data in transit and at rest, and more 
2. Because your print environment will be monitored by print management software, it will be easy to provide audit trails regarding who printed what, when, and from which device 
3. Your provider should be able to help you enforce print policies that align with compliance requirements, like requiring user authentication, implementing print quotas, and restricting access to specific printing functions 
4. MPS providers can help you implement secure end-to-end document workflows to help you meet any document lifecycle management regulations 
5. Specialized software and advanced equipment can also help you automate the distribution of compliance documents and digitize paper-based processes to reduce the risk of human error 
6. As regulations change, having a trusted service provider with specific expertise in risk and compliance means having an advocate that has the bandwidth to stay on top of the latest requirements 

Specific Industries That Can Benefit From MPS To Meet Compliance

Regulatory compliance certainly isn’t new to the healthcare, legal, or financial industry. But as educational institutions, auto dealerships, and any other organizations that offer financing now must comply with The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), partnering with an MPS provider that specializes in print security may be extraordinarily helpful. 

Getting Print Security for Less

Improving print security is a specialized skill, and unfortunately, not every provider can dedicate the time and resources to keeping on top of evolving threats. Not surprisingly, clients in regulated industries will typically have to pay more for print security. But as a national print provider with a dedicated print security team in-house, we’re able to provide comprehensive print security services at no additional charge. 

If you’re concerned about meeting compliance, we can help! Our comprehensive print assessments are free of charge, and what you do with what we find is entirely up to you. Click the link below to get on our schedule!