I think we’ve all been there at least once or twice where we printed a document to the shared office printer and got delayed in picking it up. Not really a big deal, right? Well have you ever gone to pick up your document and it’s not there? Inconvenient? Sure. Frustrating? A bit. But I’ll just go reprint it. Well, what if said printout contained sensitive or confidential information and that simple mishap became a security concern? Printing in the workplace commonly presents these types of workflow and security challenges. However, there is a simple solution – secure print release! Let’s explore what secure print release is, how it works, its business benefits, and the industries that can gain the most from adopting this type of document security solution.
Secure Print Release: What Is It and How Does It Work?
Secure print release is a controlled print features in print management software solutions that prevents your document from being immediately printed when you hit “print.” Instead, when jobs are sent to the printer, they are held in a secure virtual queue until the user authenticates at the printer. Sounds simple, right? Well, that’s the best part – it is!
Think of it like retrieving a package from an Amazon locker. You need the bar code, pick up code or the Amazon Shopping app to open the locker and access your package. Similarly, with secure print release, users need to “unlock” their print jobs at the printer using one of several authentication methods.
Step 1. User Sends Print Job: A user on their computer or mobile device sends a document to a designated secure shared print queue. For example, at Parmetech we use PaperCut and instead of selecting a specific printer to print to, we print to our ‘Xerox Follow Me’ print queue.
Step 2. Job Held Securely: The print job doesn’t print immediately. Instead, it’s held in a protected print queue.
Step 3. User Authenticates at the Printer: The user walks to any enabled printer and authenticates themselves. Common authentication methods include:
- PIN Code: Entering a unique numerical code via the printer’s keypad.
- Proximity Card/Badge: Swiping an employee ID badge or access card.
- Mobile App: Scanning a QR code or using a dedicated mobile application.
Step 4. User Selects and Releases Print Jobs: Once authenticated, the printer’s interface displays the user’s pending print jobs. The user can then select the documents they want to print and release them. The user can also choose to delete print jobs if they no longer want to print them out.
Step 5. Documents are Printed: Once authenticated, the document is printed, ensuring that only the intended recipient retrieves it. Unreleased jobs can be automatically deleted after a specified period, further enhancing document security.
The Real Benefits of Secure Print Release
Utilizing secure print release within your organizations offers a number of benefits for businesses of all sizes:
- Enhanced Data Security: Probably the most significant benefit is improved document and data security. By preventing documents from sitting unattended, you significantly reduce the risk of confidential information falling into the wrong hands, which is especially beneficial for organizations that need to comply with data privacy regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA.
- Reduced Printing Waste: Users are more likely to think twice before printing unnecessary documents when they must physically go to the printer and release them. Additionally, documents that are printed with the wrong settings, printed prematurely, or printed by mistake can be deleted at the device. This leads to a decrease in usage of paper and printer toner, as well as energy consumption, contributing to cost savings and environmental sustainability.
- Cost Savings: As mentioned above, reduced paper and toner consumption directly translates to lower operational costs. Additionally, minimizing data breaches can prevent significant financial and reputational damage.
- Improved Document Confidentiality: Sensitive documents like HR records, financial reports, legal agreements, and patient information remain private as they are only printed when the authorized user is present.
- Increased Accountability: The print management software that will offer your secure print release solution will also track print activity, providing insights into usage patterns and helping identify areas for optimization or potential misuse.
- Streamlined Workflows: Users can print to a central queue and release their jobs at any enabled printer, offering flexibility and convenience, especially in larger organizations with multiple printing devices. This can reduce bottlenecks and improve overall productivity.
Top Industries That Benefit From Secure Print Release and Print Management Software
While virtually any organization can benefit from using secure print release and print management software, there are a few industries that stand to gain the most:
1. Education: Secure print release helps protect this sensitive data and comply with regulations like FERPA. K-12 schools and college universities can use secure print release to protect student records, exams, grades, financial aid information, and confidential faculty documents. They can also use it to manage printing costs and quotas for students and staff.
2. Finance: Banks, credit unions, and investment firms handle highly sensitive financial data and personally identifiable information (PII). Secure print release helps maintain client confidentiality and meet strict compliance requirements.
3. Legal: Law firms regularly handle privileged and confidential client information. Secure print release protects sensitive case documents, contracts, and legal correspondence from unauthorized access. It can also be used in conjunction with tracking printing activity and billing for clients and cases.
4. Healthcare: Protecting patient health information is critical. Secure print release ensures that medical records, prescriptions, and insurance details are only accessed by authorized personnel, aiding in HIPAA compliance. Additionally, print management can be used to reduce paper waste and streamline workflows.
Secure Your Business with Secure Printing
By investing in a print management solution and implementing secure print release as a standard organizational printing practice, businesses can significantly enhance their document security, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and gain greater control over their printing environment. Isn’t it time you unlocked the benefits of secure print release for your organization?
