A new employee joins the business. Their laptop is set up, their email account is created and they are ready to start work.
But what about the shared printer they can access? The CCTV system viewed from a manager’s phone? The office phone system connected to the network? Or the account belonging to someone who left six months ago?
These systems are easy to overlook because they often sit outside the day-to-day conversation about business cybersecurity.
Yet modern office technology is connected. An office cybersecurity review that stops at laptops and antivirus may miss devices, accounts and processes that are part of the same business environment.
The aim is not to assume every connected device is unsafe. It is to know what is connected, who can access it and who is responsible for keeping it secure.
1. Security does not stop at the computer
When businesses think about cybersecurity, they often start with email, passwords, laptops and protection against malicious software. Those are important foundations, but they are not the entire picture.
Multifunction printers may store jobs, scan documents to email or network folders, and connect to company systems. CCTV equipment can allow remote viewing. VoIP and PABX platforms may have administrative portals, user accounts and network connections.
Each system has a legitimate business purpose. Each also deserves appropriate configuration, access controls and ongoing attention as part of the wider network security picture.
A useful first question is simple: do we have a complete list of the devices and services connected to our environment?
2. Shared printers can handle sensitive information
A printer is often treated as an office appliance rather than a connected business system.
Consider the information that passes through it: contracts, payroll documents, customer records, reports and scanned identification documents. Depending on the device and configuration, print jobs, stored files, address books and scan destinations may need protection.
Practical checks include reviewing who can use administrative functions, whether device software is kept up to date, how scan destinations are managed and whether confidential print jobs are left unattended.
It is also worth considering what happens when a printer is replaced or returned at the end of a lease. Any stored business data should be handled according to an agreed process.
The objective is not to make printing complicated. It is to apply sensible information-handling practices to a device that employees use every day.
3. CCTV and communications systems need attention too
CCTV and business phone systems are often installed for very different reasons, but both may depend on networks, remote access and administrative accounts.
For CCTV, businesses should understand who can view footage, how access is granted, whether remote viewing is required and who maintains the system. Access that was appropriate during installation may no longer be appropriate a year later.
For VoIP and PABX, review administrative credentials, user permissions, call-routing changes and how unusual activity is identified and escalated. The appropriate safeguards depend on the platform and how it is used.
The wider lesson is that a system can be working perfectly while its access arrangements have become outdated.
4. Old accounts and unclear ownership create avoidable gaps
Security is not only a technical issue. It is also a question of process and responsibility.
When an employee leaves, who checks access to printers, cloud services, CCTV viewing applications and phone-system portals? When a supplier completes an installation, who owns the administrator account? When a password or configuration needs changing, who is authorised to do it?
If the answer depends on finding the person who originally set up the system, there may be a gap in the process.
Businesses do not necessarily need one supplier for everything. They do need a clear record of who owns each system, who has access and who is accountable for maintenance and escalation.
5. Five practical checks for your office technology
A useful security review does not have to begin with a major technology replacement. Start with the basics:
- Inventory: Which printers, CCTV devices, phone systems and other connected technologies are in use?
- Access: Who has administrator and remote access, and is that access still required?
- Updates: Who checks for supported software or firmware updates and plans changes safely?
- Data: What information does each system process, store or transmit, and how is it protected?
- Responsibility: Who responds when a security concern crosses more than one supplier or system?
These questions help identify areas that need closer assessment. They are not a substitute for a formal cybersecurity review, but they are a practical starting point.
6. Think about the environment, not just individual devices
It is tempting to review office technology one product at a time: a printer contract this month, CCTV next quarter and the phone system when it needs replacing.
But these systems often share networks, users, internet access and support processes. Changes in one area can affect another.
A broader review can help a business understand dependencies, reduce uncertainty about support responsibilities and make more informed decisions about security priorities.
The strongest approach combines appropriate technical safeguards with clear processes, regular reviews and people who know who to contact when something changes.
7. A clearer view is a good place to start
Consensus has supported businesses since 2001, providing solutions across managed print and office printers, CCTV and surveillance, PABX and VoIP, and business and IT technology.
Looking at these areas together can help businesses ask better questions about how systems connect, who manages them and where responsibilities may overlap.
No single product or supplier can remove every security risk. But understanding your environment is an important step towards managing it more effectively.
If your business has not reviewed the security and support arrangements behind its everyday office technology, now is a good time to start.
Talk to Consensus about reviewing your business technology environment and identifying areas that may need attention.