A network printer is a printer connected to a network so multiple users and systems can send print jobs to it. It usually has its own network address and management interface, and may support protocols such as IPP, RAW printing or SNMP for job submission and device administration.
What a network printer is
A network printer is a shared device on the local network, so its security posture is closer to a small networked endpoint than to a simple peripheral. That matters because it can expose a management interface, accept jobs from many users, and participate in routine print workflows that organisations often treat as low risk.
Why network printers are a security concern
Network printers can become a security weak point when they are reachable from broad parts of the network, managed with weak credentials, or left with default services enabled. Because they often sit in ordinary office subnets, they are easy to overlook during asset review, yet they can still provide an entry point for job interception, configuration tampering, or device abuse.
In practice, the risk comes from the combination of network reachability and administrative exposure. A printer that can be discovered, queried, or managed over protocols such as IPP, RAW printing, or SNMP needs the same kind of basic control thinking applied to other networked assets: inventory, access restriction, service minimisation, and monitoring.
Common protocols and management surfaces
The protocols associated with network printers shape the attack surface. Print submission protocols handle document flow, while management protocols expose status, counters, configuration, and sometimes device control. If those surfaces are available on segments that many users or systems can reach, they may reveal operational information or allow unwanted changes.
SNMP is especially important to understand because it is often used for device administration and monitoring. Even when the printer itself is not a high-value target, the management interface may disclose model details, network settings, or queue information that helps an attacker map the environment.
Operational impact on users and systems
Network printers are often shared by large groups, so a problem on one device can disrupt many workflows at once. A misconfigured printer can slow printing, leak documents to the wrong output tray, or create confusion about whether a job completed successfully. In some environments, printing is part of regulated or operationally sensitive processes, which makes reliability and access control more important than the device’s low profile might suggest.
Because printers are connected systems rather than passive hardware, compromise can also affect trust in the print path. If an attacker can change device settings or observe traffic, the printer may become a source of confidentiality loss, workflow disruption, or internal reconnaissance.
Risk and Threat Considerations
Network printers are attractive because they are widely deployed, frequently under-managed, and often exposed through default or legacy services. That combination can make them easier to abuse than more closely monitored endpoints, especially when administrators reuse credentials or leave management ports reachable from broad network zones.
Failure mechanism: Weak segregation, default access, or overlooked firmware and service settings can let an attacker query the device, alter configuration, intercept output, or use the printer as a foothold for deeper internal discovery.
Impact: The result can include document exposure, service disruption, loss of control over print routing, and a broader opportunity to map internal systems through a device that many defenders do not watch closely.
Standards & Framework Alignment
This section maps relevant standards and security frameworks to the operational risks and controls described in this guidance.
NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CIS Controls v8 and NIST CSF 2.0 set the governance and control requirements practitioners need to meet.
| Framework | Control / Reference | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 | AC-4 — Information Flow Enforcement | Network printer traffic and management access need controlled information flow boundaries. |
| IA-2 — Identification and Authentication (Organizational Users) | Printer admin consoles require authenticated administrative access to reduce device misuse. | |
| CM-7 — Least Functionality | Printers often expose unnecessary services that increase their attack surface. | |
| Recommendation — Restrict printer access to approved subnets and management paths. Require authenticated admin access for printer management interfaces. Disable unused printer services and management features. | ||
| CIS Controls v8 | CIS-1 — Inventory and Control of Enterprise Assets | Printers should be inventoried so exposed devices are known and managed. |
| CIS-4 — Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software | Printers need hardened settings to reduce default-service and weak-admin exposure. | |
| CIS-12 — Network Infrastructure Management | Printer exposure is shaped by network placement, routing and administrative reachability. | |
| Recommendation — Inventory all network printers and track their ownership and location. Harden printer configurations and remove default or unnecessary services. Limit printer reachability with network controls and managed segments. | ||
| NIST CSF 2.0 | ID.AM-01 — Physical Devices and Systems Are Inventoried | Printers are physical networked devices that must be included in asset inventory. |
| PR.AA-05 — Identity Management, Authentication, and Access Control for Assets | Printer administration depends on authenticating and authorising access to device functions. | |
| PR.PS-01 — Configuration Management | Printer security depends on managed configuration, service exposure and approved settings. | |
| Recommendation — Include network printers in asset inventories and ownership records. Apply access control to printer administration and sensitive device functions. Manage printer configurations and remove unnecessary exposed services. | ||
Practitioner Guidance
What to watch for: Treat printers as managed network assets, not just office equipment. Confirm they are inventoried, segmented appropriately, and limited to the protocols and management interfaces they actually need. When a printer exposes SNMP or web administration, make sure those services are restricted to authorised administrators and are reviewed like any other device management surface.
Practitioner note: Printing environments tend to accumulate legacy settings over time, so a periodic review of device exposure, authentication, and logging is often more valuable than one-time hardening.
Related resources from NHI Mgmt Group
- Why has identity replaced the network perimeter as the primary security boundary?
- Why are identity-based attacks growing faster than traditional network attacks?
- What is the difference between network controls and identity controls for infrastructure access?
- What is the difference between network trust and request-level identity trust?
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Reviewed and updated by the NHIMG editorial team on November 2, 2026.
NHI Mgmt Group — the #1 independent authority on Non-Human Identity, IAM, and Agentic AI security. nhimg.org