Warning - Hackers Could Set Your Printer on Fire from a Distance
Reading my usual morning yahoo news and Google alerts I couldn't help but feel obligated to share this article with you. Being that we are a printer cartridge replacement online store and we constantly talk about printer issues this one couldn't go unnoticed. Read parts of the article published in Yahoo news with its corresponding links and our warning signs to look out for as well as.
Strange Security: Hackers Could Set Your Printer on Fire from a Distance by Tecca - Yahoo.com
The research team, helmed by Columbia Professor Salvatore Stolfo and student Ang Cui, demonstrated the design flaw in a number of models of LaserJet printer manufactured by Hewlett Packard. They showed how infiltrating a printer remotely and flooding it with commands could overheat the part of a printer that dries ink, causing it to smoke, melt down, and potentially even start a fire. In another test, the group swiped a Social Security number from a scanned document and auto-published it to a Twitter feed, all by controlling the compromised device remotely.
To show how real the threat is, the team reverse-engineered the printer software - essentially breaking it down and building it back up. They discovered that the automated firmware updates on some older models essentially left the devices wide open. Firmware is the software that controls the internal workings of an electronic device, and it needs to be updated occasionally. The printers in question scan for new firmware through an automated process known as a remote firmware update, but they aren't discerning about what they download. By skipping a critical step for security known as digital signing, the calling card of safe, manufacturer-approved software, any able hacker could push malicious software onto a device by disguising it as a firmware update attached to a print request.
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Warning Signs
Well basically the theory was proven for HP LaserJet printers. You are supposed to not be so alarmed (at least that's what I read between the lines) because most home users use inkjet printers. But most small business offices, or large in that matter use laser printers and their information can be very important indeed. The lesson to be learned then is to always update firmware from the printers manufacturer website and not from emails or other free sites. These warnings are not intended to alarm but to make you aware of possible dangers and how to protect from them if possible.
Posted by Karla Arostegui - Content Mgr. at 11/30/2011 7:10 AM 
Categories: Ink and Toner Cartridges:HP Printer Ink
Tags: HP LaserJet Printer printer ink Warning Hacking online security
Categories: Ink and Toner Cartridges:HP Printer Ink
Tags: HP LaserJet Printer printer ink Warning Hacking online security
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