Do you know if your photocopier has a hard
disk under its cover? If it is one of the later models from almost any
supplier, it probably does. If this is the case, beware when you either allow
the supplier to take it away for repair, or otherwise dispose of it.
The hard disk inside the copier is used to
store images of the documents that you have copied, scanned or maybe even faxed
(if it has a fax facility built in).
Many companies have fallen foul of business
espionage. There have been cases where unscrupulous service engineers have
removed and replaced the copier hard disk (which can be done very easily), and
retrieved hundreds of documents from the disk, some of which were confidential
or contained sensitive or financially useful information.
There are also risks from hackers, who may
be able to access your copier if it is attached to an office network (many
copiers can be used as a network printing device as well as copier, scanner and
fax facility).
The situation with regard to photocopiers is
similar to that of office computers, in that sensitive information is often
left on the system’s hard disk when the computer is taken off site for repair,
or disposed of.
Make sure that you have an appropriate
service agreement in place with your supplier that ensures that you can retain
the copier’s hard disk when it is either repaired or you dispose of the
copier. You can then make sure that the disks’ contents are securely erased
before disposing of the device.
