How to secure a network printer

Type the printer's IP address into a browser on the same network. If the printer supports it, put https:// before the address so your admin password is sent encrypted. Sign in as administrator; many newer printers ship with a unique password printed on a label, while older ones may have a blank or widely known default.

Find the security, password or administrator settings and set a long, unique admin password. Store it in a password manager, since forgetting it can mean a factory reset. If the printer supports separate user and admin accounts, give admin rights only to the people who need them.

Firmware updates fix security flaws as well as bugs. Check for updates on the web page or the printer's screen, and turn on automatic updates if the printer offers them. If you use third-party cartridges, read the update notes on the maker's official support site first, as some updates have changed which cartridges are accepted, but don't put off security updates for long.

In the network or protocol settings, turn off features nobody uses, such as Telnet, FTP, older print protocols, print by email and cloud services. Turn off Wi-Fi Direct if it isn't used, or give it a strong password. Leave on the protocols your computers print with, often IPP, and be careful with SNMP, which many drivers use to show ink levels; if the printer offers SNMPv3, use that rather than older versions. Print a test page after each change.

Turn on HTTPS for the web page and, if offered, IPPS for printing. For scan to email, use TLS or STARTTLS with your mail server, and for scan to a network folder, use SMB2 or SMB3 rather than SMB1. If the printer lets you turn off old TLS versions such as 1.0 and 1.1, do so, then check your devices still connect.

Sign in to your router, remove any port forwarding rules that point to the printer's IP address, and turn off UPnP if nothing you use relies on it. A printer should never be reachable directly from the internet. To print while you're away, use the maker's cloud service or a VPN into your own network instead.

Give visitors your router's guest Wi-Fi rather than your main network, so their devices can't reach the printer or its settings page. Most guest networks block access to the main network, so a printer placed on the guest network usually can't be reached from your own computers either. If a guest needs to print, Wi-Fi Direct with a password, or printing the file for them, is simpler.

Many office printers can hold a job until its owner enters a PIN or taps an ID card at the printer, often called secure print, PIN printing or pull printing. Use it for sensitive documents so pages don't sit in the output tray. Where the printer supports it, also limit who can scan, copy and change settings, and keep job logging turned on.

Before you sell, return or recycle a printer, run a full factory reset to remove Wi-Fi details, email logins and address books. On models with a hard drive or internal storage, also run the secure erase or sanitize option, and remove the printer from the maker's app or online account.

Security fixes for the Windows print system arrive through Windows Update. Open Settings > Windows Update (Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and install any pending updates.

Get printer drivers from Windows Update or the manufacturer's official support website. Avoid driver download sites and bundled installers from unknown sources, which can carry unwanted software.

Windows requires administrator rights to install most printer drivers from shared printers. If a guide suggests a registry change or policy that lets standard users install printer drivers without that check, don't apply it; install the driver from an administrator account instead.

Old printer entries, especially shared printers from previous networks, can leave outdated drivers on the PC. Remove them in Printers & scanners, then remove leftover drivers from the Drivers tab of Print server properties, linked from the same page.

Choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update and install available updates, which include fixes for the Mac's printing components.

When you add a printer, choose AirPrint in the Use menu where it's offered. It relies on the printer's own driverless support, so there's no extra driver software to keep up to date.

Open System Settings > General > Sharing and turn off Printer Sharing unless other computers print through your Mac.