Copy machines a silent security risk?

I don't know where CBS news stands on the continuum of news providers, but this story sounds both legit and scary.

http://www.wimp.com/copymachines/

They also supposedly leave a unique pattern in every print out that makes it easier for law enforcement to figure out where each copy was made.

MrJoshua wrote: They also supposedly leave a unique pattern in every print out that makes it easier for law enforcement to figure out where each copy was made.

Lovely.

dyintorace wrote:

MrJoshua wrote: They also supposedly leave a unique pattern in every print out that makes it easier for law enforcement to figure out where each copy was made.

Lovely.

Back when the first really good digital laser photocopiers came out, they had to be registered with the RCMP up here, because they could copy cash that looked awful close to real.

I'm having a bit of trouble with the dude from Sharp that said it would cost $500 to add a program to wipe the hard drive. Seems simple enough to me.

Oh well. I figure privacy is a thing of the past anyway.

There's a reason we have separate classified and unclassified copiers around here.

I imagine the whole classified copier is destroyed when they get rid of it.

It seems a lot easier to replace the drive and destroy the old one when the copier is replaced.

Ok, this is my profession, so I can clear up a bunch of the myth & hype surrounding this:

Yes, most copiers produced in the last 10-years have at least the option of having a hard drive installed in them. Some brands like Canon store their OS on them, while others like Konica Minolta use them for optional image storage. These are not Windows-based file systems, they are typically Unix/Linux based.

On units that are older than ~5-years, there could be some potential risks just because security wasn't the concern that it has become in recent years, but keep in mind that this is just like a PC with data constanly being overwritten. So, in theory, someone somewhere could possibly disect the 1's and 0's from a recent document and reassemble it into some sort of legible document.

On the other hand, security on modern copiers(basically anything built since HIPAA was enacted) is much tighter, and all new units have the ability to meet even the tightest government/military security requirements, though options may be required to achieve that.

If you're really concerned, I wouldn't utilize any of the on-board document hosting features for anything sensitive just to be safe(most people don't use them anyway), but I wouldn't worry much about normal print/copy/scan/fax functions.

You can also ask for the data to be deleted when you do get rid of an old device, but unfortunately destroying the HDD often isn't possible without disabling the device, which usually isn't allowed if the unit has been leased.

Oh, and regarding the whole copying cash issue, we've been told all those same stories by the manufacturers over the years. What I know as fact is: if you enlarge and/or reduce you can copy cash on about any machine. On current Konica Minolta boxes, if you fan out at stack of cash it will copy OK - however, if you try to copy a single bill it will display a message stating it is not allowed. No black helicopters, SUVs, etc.

petegossett wrote: Oh, and regarding the whole copying cash issue, we've been told all those same stories by the manufacturers over the years. What I know as fact is: if you enlarge and/or reduce you can copy cash on about any machine. On current Konica Minolta boxes, if you fan out at stack of cash it will copy OK - however, if you try to copy a single bill it will display a message stating it is not allowed. No black helicopters, SUVs, etc.

Ok, thats cool. I'm going to try this morning.

petegossett wrote: ... if you try to copy a single bill it will display a message stating it is not allowed. No black helicopters, SUVs, etc.

No black helicopters, just a machine that is reading what you're trying to copy. Not scary at all. Nope.

LOL

copiers... don't get me started....

Eric Mosher CISSP

Streetwiseguy wrote:

petegossett wrote: Oh, and regarding the whole copying cash issue, we've been told all those same stories by the manufacturers over the years. What I know as fact is: if you enlarge and/or reduce you can copy cash on about any machine. On current Konica Minolta boxes, if you fan out at stack of cash it will copy OK - however, if you try to copy a single bill it will display a message stating it is not allowed. No black helicopters, SUVs, etc.

Ok, thats cool. I'm going to try this morning.

And? Or can you not get GRM from the back of a Black SUV on your way to SUPERMAX prison?

Photoshop will also get testy if you try to load in a picture of a bill.

I was in the bank yesterday, and they had some sort of promotion where you got a hundred bucks if you referred a new business customer. To get your attention, they had photocopies of $100 bills stuck up all over the walls

If it is that big a worry just pull the hard drive when you are done with and smash it. That is what I do with all my computers when I am finished with them.

In reply to 96DXCivic:

Not possible with Canon copiers if they are leased. The leasing companies require them to pass a copy when they are returned off-lease. The Canon OS is stored on their HDD - not in NVRam like other brands - so no HDD = no copy = big bill from lease company$$$.

Even on other brands that are leased, the lease company knows what features/options were originally on the copier & will bill for anything not present. Of course, in that case you could always format the drive first or replace it with a new one, but that's an expense the company would have to be willing to accept - figure ~$150 per-copier for the drive & the labor to swap it out. That would really add up for large corporations.

Pete,

Thanks for the info and clarity. The link I posted sounds like the typical media hyperbole job.