Devices connected to internal organizational networks need a bare minimum level of security. But what happens when they are not set up with that minimum security? The consequences are manifest in the fact that Google’s search reveals more than 86000 HP printers, some of which don’t even have a password to stop an outsider from using it.
The problem with these indexed printers is that if a user is able to view them through a simple Google search query, it essentially means that they are publicly available. Of course most of these are then guarded by security measures such as passwords but a hacker can bypass them by a simple script and effectively use these HP printers.
To top things up, some of these printers do not even have a password on them. In other words, any user can send printing commands to such printers and start utilizing the resources of that organization, even if remotely printing papers that you can not possibly hope to get is a pointless activity.
You can view the list of these printers by punching in this simply query on Google:
inurl:hp/device/this.LCDispatcher?nav=hp.Print
Interestingly, the list of publicly available HP printers includes those hosted by some very prestigious entities, such as universities. For instance, you can find printers from University of Washington on that list.
This goes on to show the utter lack of security implemented by thousands of network administrators around the globe. Network resources are often left unguarded, as in this case, and eventually that causes huge losses for many organizations, in terms of wasted resources and more.
Courtesy: ZDNet
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