In the age of multiple technological advances, there may be one piece of technology that’s considered a relic of the past: the fax machine. Even if you still use it, chances are you use email or chat for people you work with inside and outside your office. Still, in some industries many people continue to send faxes. Even if you don’t use it at all, one is probably built into your printer and scanner. But is it time to give the fax the ax?
A study from Checkpoint Research found that fax machines are the most vulnerable point of entry for hackers. One of the researchers, Yaniv Balmas, concluded, "Fax is perceived as a secure method of data transmission. That’s a huge misconception—it’s absolutely not secure." Take steps now to shore up this potential vulnerability in your network. PC Mag calls fax machines a “significant IT threat.” And we at Emerge IT agree.
Balmas notes that a hacker could initiate a stack overflow by running numerous software applications, crashing your entire network. And that’s just one example of the type of disastrous attack someone could launch with a malicious fax.
Say Goodbye to Your Fax Machine
At one point in time, the Atlantic notes, the fax machine had a place in every office. It made it easy for anyone to send important documents over a phone line. It let you send signed documents to the desired recipient, something you couldn’t do electronically back then.
Today, technology allows you to sign documents online and sharing them over the internet (and we have IT solutions to help with that). So, the fax machine isn’t needed as much as it once was, if at all.
Hackers have ways of getting information from an older fax machine and can even get data from the old printer cartridges from the fax machine. If you’re regularly sending confidential or sensitive information to other people through a fax machine, the information could still be at risk of falling into the wrong hands.
Security isn’t the only downside to fax machines, either. If an older model breaks, it may be difficult or impossible to get parts, causing a slowdown in productivity.
Reasons to Stick with the Fax
There are reasons for keeping a fax machine around. Unlike email, which may automatically send important emails to your spam folder, the BBC notes that a fax machine sends the original sender a message that says the fax has been received. That way everyone rests assured that the message has been received. The BBC also notes that some fax machines can encrypt messages so that if they fall into the wrong hands, they can’t be understood. This is advantageous for someone who works in law or healthcare, who needs to protect confidential information.
With as dependent as everyone is on technology, one of the worst things that can happen in an office setting is an internet outage. Many fax machines still run on landlines. Should your office experience an internet outage, you could still theoretically communicate via fax. This might be a relief if you have to send time-sensitive documents.
Shore Up Your Fax Machine Security
Are the advantages worth the risks? If you decide they are, take steps to protect your fax machine. Treat it as part of your network--which it is--and protect it the same as you would any other component.
First, take inventory of any fax machines on your network. You may not even notice some, if they are part of all-in-one systems you use for other things. Protect them with passwords and control who has access to them. Keep your system updated and install all security patches.
Another option is to segregate your fax machine from the rest of your network. If you use a fax machine only for specific tasks that don’t require interfacing with other components, this might be your simplest option.
A good IT partner can help advise you on the best options for your company. Consider whether you still need a fax machine at all. And, if you do, keep it secure.
IMAGE: Pixabay / CC0 Public Domain