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Secure Network Printing

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by kilfoydj

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We are implementing a new medical billing sytem that requires secure data transmissions. We are implementing a VPN client solution to secure the data to and from the server. Our problem is that we have not been able to find a product that will allow secure transmissions from the server to the many HP Jetdirect networked printers. Currently most users print directly to the IP of the printer. We have toyed with the idea of connecting the printers through the LPT to dedicated P.C.'s and loading the VPN on the P.C. and using the PC as a print server but that seems highly ineffeciant and would be a support nightmare. My question is: does anybody currently work in a environment that requires secure transmisions to printers and what do you use to do this. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

9 replies

by hasse mcse/brainbench

Hi!

The only sollution that I can see to your problem is to buy and install hardware encryption boxes that you install in each end of the network cable to and from the printer.

Such boxes will encrypt everything on that network cable.

Not cheap, but might be easiest.

/Hasse

by joeuser

Hmm, secure printing? How secure is it when someone walks by the printer and reads the pages? Violated confidentiality! I have an idea, throw a blanket over the printers that has an iron-on disclaimer.

by rogueldr

I do have a solution but it may be costly for you. The company I work for sells photocopiers. All the new copiers have print controllers built into them so that they can print from a customer's network. I configure these print controllers and handle the network connectivity to the customer's network. We offer a solution called job lock to our customers. Any department can print a job to one of our newer copiers and within the printer driver can set a 5 digit lock code. The job will not print out of the printer unless the same 5 digit lock code is entered from the copier's LCD panel. This ensures that only the person printing the document can retrieve it. Great for accounting departments that share the copier/printer with other departments.
These machines are starting to catch on all over the US, since they are 50 page per minute copiers and printers.
My company currently sells Minolta and Sharp Copier's and both have machines with this function built in. If you need specific model numbers of machines let me know and I can help you out with them.

by nodonoghue

Further to previous answers, most printer manufactories will have some kind of secure document release built in especially on the larger copiers / printers. For instance Ricoh sell the Aficio 551/700/850/1050 with a Document Server which has secure printing built in. the secure print is via a username, filename and password which can be typed in via the printer driver on Windows and Mac clients.
For more info please contact Ricoh at technical@ricoh-uk.com

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