First, the big bad wolf got hold of the printers, which are not included in the security settings of the organisation. Then the hacker gets access to data in the computers through ‘phishing’ done via the printer.
And the list goes on in this fictional short movie The Wolf starring Christian Slater.
In the Independent’s interview with Boris Balacheff, Chief Technologist for System Security Research and Innovation at HP Labs, HP Inc (NYSE: HPQ), we learned how Cybercriminals are targeting the innocent printer. They say it is now the weakest link your wireless network.
Cybercriminals target the printer, the weakest link in your wireless network
If you have no idea how a cyber attack can start with the hacker getting into your printer’s head, watch the video below:
It has been sometime now that HP illustrated several potential dangers in a fictionalized video series, The Wolf, starring Christian Slater as a hacker.
The Wolf uses a mobile device to access a printer and inject malware to intercept and read data.
He then uses a “phishing” email to trick a user into sending malicious code hidden within the print file to a printer.
The malware on the printer breaches the firewall and spreads to the company’s PCs. The code resides at the BIOS level, so it can continually supply data and even reinstate itself after network defenses deploy.
Finally, The Wolf discovers a confidential document in the output tray of an MFP. The public leak of sensitive data causes the company to suffer considerable financial and brand damage.
While the video is fiction, the threat is not, says HP.
It’s estimated that the average cost of a cyber breach (in 2017) is almost $4 million.