What a Shared Printer Exposes, and How to Close It
Confidential documents on a shared printer can reach the wrong person from the tray, the internal drive or the network.
Last updated: September 2026
A shared multifunction device has three exposures: documents left in the output tray, data on its internal drive, and the network it sits on.
Secure print release, drive encryption and a changed administrator password are the first fixes.
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Quick formStart with the output tray
The exposure that happens daily is a document left in the tray, where anyone walking past can read or take it.
Secure print release closes it. The job waits at the device until the person who sent it authenticates with a card, code or login, then prints.
Jobs nobody collects are never printed, which also cuts waste.
How it runs day to day is covered in secure print release for shared office printers.
Data on the drive inside
Business multifunction devices store job data on an internal drive so they can queue, collate and reprint.
Look for drive encryption, and for automatic overwrite of job data once a job completes.
Ask before signing what happens to that data when the device leaves at the end of the term. For an office handling client records, get the answer in writing.
Treat it as a networked computer
- Change the default administrator password at installation. Default credentials are a known weak point on any networked device.
- Require a user code, card or login to print, copy or scan, so only staff can use the device.
- Turn off protocols and services the office does not use.
- Keep firmware current, and ask the supplier whether that is part of the service or left to you.
Common questions
What are the main printer security risks in an office?
Documents left in the output tray, data held on the device’s internal drive, and the device itself sitting on the network with default settings.
The tray is the one that happens daily, and the easiest to close.
Does a leased printer store copies of what I print?
Business multifunction devices hold job data internally in order to queue, collate and reprint.
Look for drive encryption and job overwrite, and ask specifically what happens to that data when the device is returned.
Can I password protect a printer?
Yes.
Business multifunction devices generally support a user code, card or login before anyone prints, copies or scans, and an administrator password locks the settings.
Change that administrator password from its default at installation.
Which businesses need secure printing most?
Legal, medical, accounting and aged care offices, where a page left in a tray is a confidentiality problem and obligations often apply to how records are stored and disposed of.
Match the security features to how sensitive the documents are, rather than buying every option.
Related reading
If client records pass through the office printer, you can get a printer lease quote and ask which security features the device includes.