Cisco and Xerox Boost Cybersecurity for Printers on the Network

By Tracey Koziol

Pity the network managers who are responsible for network security. Mandates to accommodate the “internet of things” and mobile connectivity add exponentially to the number of network endpoints they must secure.

Fortunately for them, today’s network access control solutions ease some of their burden, by providing centralized network visibility and controls for managing security risks on their ever-expanding networks. And now, Cisco has made it easier to incorporate a sometimes-overlooked endpoint — network printers and multifunction printers (MFPs).

 Cisco’s Identity Services Engine (ISE) now comes with profiles of more than 200 Xerox printers, high-end production presses and multifunction devices, including our portfolio of 29 new ConnectKey-enabled VersaLink and AltaLink workplace assistants. This enables the Cisco ISE to automatically detect Xerox devices on a network, cueing network managers to dial in the appropriate security controls, and to employ Cisco ISE as a convenient facility for monitoring printer and MFP activities.

“The complexity of the security ecosystem is growing, and collaboration among vendors—such as our partnership with Xerox—is one of the best ways to stay ahead of adversaries,” said Dov Yoran (photo, right).

Xerox shares that view. That’s why we maintain partnerships with security leaders, like Cisco and McAfee, to ensure that we provide leadership security protections that keep our customers’ data, documents and devices safe. Our holistic approach is built upon four pillars: intrusion prevention, device detection, protecting documents and data from unauthorized disclosure, and external partnerships to meet the highest security standards. To ensure we deliver on that promise, we measure our performance against industry certifications based upon international standards.

Learn more about cybersecurity

Insights on Data Protection on Xerox.com.
More articles about security on this blog.
A Step Ahead: Focus on Security—download the e-magazine.

The Cisco ISE capabilities touch on several of these pillars. Network and IT managers now have control and monitoring options that enable them to:

• Gain control over security, and simplify printer fleet implementation through auto detection and classification of Xerox printers.
• Comply with security policies by centrally identifying, monitoring, and managing devices.
• Implement custom security policies on devices more easily in order to prevent inappropriate access.
• Quarantine devices behind a firewall to prevent access in restricted areas.
• Automatically prevent non-approved print devices from connecting to the network.
• Receive real-time alerts about policy violations, and extensive reporting of device network activity.
• Block non-printers from connecting to ports assigned to printers.

In short, Cisco ISE puts system administrators in control of what connects to the network—to more easily monitor those devices and ensure cybersecurity policy compliance.

The expanded Cisco partnership is the latest in a series of accolades, events and enhancements that demonstrate Xerox’s comprehensive approach to networked printing security.