Are printers and mobile devices your Achilles heel?

MORE THAN half (51%) of organisations, including manufacturing, utilities, logistics and retail, reckon their operational technology (OT) environments will be targeted by cyber attacks.

The UK was said to experience four ‘nationally significant’ cyber attacks a week in 2025. And as cyber threats become more frequent and advanced, it’s vital your cybersecurity strategy includes all networked devices, including thermal printers and enterprise mobile computers (EMCs).

Today’s organisations, from small manufacturers to global operators and public bodies, rely on vast networks of connections to operate. While this is undoubtedly beneficial, such connections also present potential entry points for hackers to access, breach, or disrupt enterprise systems. Among such entry points, for example, are thermal printers. While supporting critical functions like shipping, product marking and compliance labelling, they’re often overlooked in cybersecurity planning.

Media outlet, Cybernews, conducted an experiment some years ago to determine how many unsecured printers it could potentially hack. Its results made for sober reading. Through readily available IoT search engines, the publication managed to hijack nearly 28,000 unprotected printers, amounting to a 56% success rate.

Cyber breaches dominated UK business headlines in 2025, crippling manufacturers, retailers and others. The risk of threats is escalating, and attackers are said to be using advanced technologies to target weaknesses faster than organisations can protect themselves. Unsecured printers and EMCs pose a significant risk, a vulnerability you cannot afford to ignore.

Structure your security

When evaluating the security of your thermal printers, it’s important to take a structured approach, one that addresses both technical vulnerabilities and organisational requirements. Key vulnerabilities to consider include:

• unauthorised access of printers with open network ports or unsecured web interfaces
• interception of sensitive data from print jobs
• the use of printers as a bridge to deploy malware into broader enterprise systems.

Organise your security measures methodically and effectively around key cybersecurity principles, frameworks, and regulations. These include the CIA Triad, which emphasises three core principles: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Another is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which provides a comprehensive lifecycle for managing cybersecurity risks.

In addition, there are also governmental regulations such as the EU’s Radio Equipment Directive (RED). This is a directive for devices with wireless communication functions, including printers equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or RFID.

Take control of your printer and mobile device security

As cyber threats become more frequent and ever more complex, don’t overlook thermal printers and EMCs in your cybersecurity planning. By understanding potential vulnerabilities and security frameworks, and by fully leveraging security capabilities built into printers like those from TSC Auto ID, you can mitigate risks and protect your operations without sacrificing efficiency.

TSC devices come equipped with many security capabilities, including firmware authentication, TLS/SSL encryption, and remote management tools. TSC also maintains a dedicated vulnerability disclosure program to report and resolve security issues. It offers a secure channel for customers and partners to report vulnerabilities. Such a proactive approach helps maintain transparency, minimises risk exposure, and supports responsible disclosure best practices, all critical elements for enterprise trust.