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Print devices must be considered in an organization’s overall security plan to maintain a solid security posture. As the effects of a remote workforce and a difficult IT labor market continue, security remains a primary focus while cyberthreats increase in frequency and sophistication. MFPs and printers are targeted by cyberthreats because they are a vital, often overlooked component of a company’s document workflow and operation. IT solution provider ConnectWise and Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) recently announced a strategic partnership to realize their shared vision of offering secure and effective managed services through their extensive channel partner networks. The announcement was made at the Sharp National Dealer Meeting 2023. Its Print Security Service will be the first of many services and offers unique visibility into print security for Sharp devices.
Sharp addresses security at the device level by providing several integrated security capabilities, like password management, intrusion detection, firmware attack prevention, and optional virus detection. According to our research, organizations seek to outsource at least one area of IT security and rely on dependable partners for security services. IT service providers and solutions must provide continuous monitoring, detection, mitigation, and remediation of threats across the entire IT infrastructure, including print devices.
More About ConnectWise
Thoma Bravo purchased IT software automation business ConnectWise in 2019, with no financial details disclosed at the time. However, speculation suggested that Thoma Bravo paid approximately $1.5 billion for ConnectWise. ConnectWise has made several major acquisitions and announcements since then. Furthermore, there has been claims that ConnectWise will leave Thoma Bravo this year, but no such announcements have been made.
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
As organizations require better security management and support, Keypoint anticipates seeing a wider deployment of print-based security tools and infrastructure delivered through managed services in the enterprise. In addition to advancing protection on devices and a desire to outsource specific aspects of an IT infrastructure, printing is prepared to be an integral part of a security strategy. Managing devices and print in a hybrid workplace has also heightened the risk to devices and calls for rapid change in the print environment. Organizations now demand products, services, and solutions that can meet required thresholds for security.
Sharp and ConnectWise are working together to further deepen their relationship by cataloging events and occurrences specifically from the print device (security incidents originating from printers are frequently summarized, organized, and provided as general threats, but are insufficiently comprehensive). As more print-specific events are recorded, this new security service will act and learn. Organizations will then get a clear picture of the Sharp printer-specific threats and incidents that ConnectWise is monitoring and remediating.
Offering managed IT services might be difficult for the channel. IT services encompass a wide range of solutions and tools, each with its own set of conditions, experience, and knowledge requirements. Email, vulnerability, endpoint, detection, and compliance management are some of the security services that can be provided. Sharp intends to support the channel with a print security service that will identify specific dangers to devices while also providing an onramp to further security services in the future. We believe that more complex and frequent security events will only increase the channel’s need to provide more services, including print security.
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