Ink Giant HP Quells Fears Over Printer Security

Despite fears over printer safety, ink cartridge and printer manufacturer Hewlett Packard (HP) has announced it has built a new firmware update in order to shore up printer security.

Fears had been highlighted by researchers that remote hackers could potentially access HP printers and do damage which could lead to printer fires. This was dubbed as sensationalist by HP but now it appears it has moved to tighten things up.

The printing giant claims it is now communicating this update proactively to both its customers and partners but suggests that no customer has reported unauthorised access to any of its printing devices, let alone any fires.

HP also moved to reiterate its recommendation to follow best practices for securing devices by using tools such as firewall and also disabling remote firmware uploads on exposed printers.

The update is available for download on HP's website for any consumers concerned about security.

Posted by Barry Ashmore.