Executive Summary

Quocirca Print Security Landscape 2024

Key findings

• Printer and MFP manufacturers continue to enhance and deepen their security focus. HP has advanced its position because of ongoing innovation across its hardware portfolio and establishing a zero-trust print architecture (ZTPA) framework and stronger alignment of HP Wolf Security across its print and PC offerings. Xerox has a comprehensive security offering across hardware and solutions, particularly with respect to its workflow and content security portfolio. Canon offers a globally consistent security offering, supported by its mature uniFLOW platform. Other vendors in the leadership category include Lexmark with a mature secure-by-design approach across its hardware range, Ricoh which stands out for its cybersecurity services, and Konica Minolta with its bizHUB secure offerings. Sharp has made strong investments in security over the past year, exemplified by a multi-layered security approach and partnership with Bitdefender. Major players include Epson, Brother, Kyocera, and Toshiba.

• Print security has climbed the security agenda compared to 2023. While public networks are seen as posing the top IT security risk (35%), this is closely followed by employee-owned home printers (33%), up from 21% in 2023. This potentially reflects the growth in ‘shadow printing’ caused by increased home working and the use of printers outside corporate controls. Office printing is in third position (29%), up from eighth in 2023 (20%).

• Organisations are making progress in addressing print security challenges. Overall, 30% say it is very or somewhat difficult to keep up with print security demands, down from 39% in 2023. The top print security challenge is protecting sensitive and confidential documents from being printed (28%), rising to 34% in the US. Notably, organisations operating a multivendor print environment are more likely to cite this as a challenge (30%), compared to 24% of those using a standardised fleet.

• In the past 12 months, 67% of organisations have experienced data losses due to unsecure printing practices, up from 61% in 2023. As in 2023, midmarket organisations are more likely to report one or more data losses (70%) than large organisations (63%), with business and professional services suffering the greatest volume of breaches at 71%, followed by the public sector (70%). On average, the cost of a print-related data breach is over £1m, compared to £743,000 in 2023.

• Quocirca’s Print Security Maturity Index reveals that only 20% of organisations are classed as Leaders. Leaders are those organisations that have implemented six or more security measures. The number of Leaders rises to 25% in the US and falls to 14% in France, which also has the highest number of Laggards (23%). Leaders are likely to spend more on print security, experience fewer data losses, and report higher levels of confidence in the security of their print environment.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating further concerns around security risks. Overall, 62% report that they are extremely or moderately concerned about AI creating more IT security risks. Overall, 83% of respondents state that it is very (34%) or somewhat important (49%) that vendors use AI or machine learning (ML) to identify print security threats. These findings suggest a promising opportunity for print vendors to develop and deliver innovative solutions using ML and AI for print security – whether this involves on-device AI security or AI-based remote monitoring solutions.

• Over a third (36%, up from 32% in 2023) are very satisfied with their print supplier’s security capabilities. This rises to 47% among US organisations and drops to 19% in Germany. Those using an MPS have far higher satisfaction levels (43% are very satisfied) than those not currently using an MPS or with no plans to use one (23%).