Wolf K wrote in
om:

On 02/12/2011 10:56 PM, DanS wrote:
[snip] if you have a large size commercial
HP printer/copier, similar tot he one at work which is a
Minolta, not an HP.....it could be one that has a hard
drive on it that stores things it copies and print,
basically forever, until it's overwritten or purposely
erased, usually through some obscure front panel sequence.

It was a big to-do here, when the city's leased
peripherals were traded in, with city document still on
them, on the HD. These could have been just copiers
however, but the possibility stil remains.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...ningnews/main6
412 439.shtml

Bottom line: printer security is not an issue IMO. (But
network security is.)

Many (pretty well all older) office type
copier/printer/mufti-function machines have hard drives
(1), used to store the copy/print image while multiple
copies are made. Eventually the HDD fills up and FIFO takes
over as new print/copy jobs are done. Any security issue
would arise at a recycling depot where the machine is taken
apart. The HDD could be attached to a computer and its
contents read. Forestall that by removing it before sending
the machine to the dumpster.

I note that the story that caused such a flurry was about
using a glitch in the printer's firmware to make the
printer overheat.

This is true. But, it all starts somewhere.

I don't see any way to get data out of
the machine without a hack of the printer's firmware so
that the printer sends the contents of the HDD to the
computer used to hack it.

Which may or may not could be done. I don't have an intimate
knowledge of what is required for a printer/copier firmware
update. As I said, it all starts somewhere. "Super Anti-virus
2009" wasn't the first virus/whatever to appear.

Not sure of the accuracy, but.....

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/17/c...irst-computer-
virus-is-40-years-young-today/

........."Creeper (named after a character in the old Scooby
Doo cartoons) spread from BBN Technologies' DEC PDP-10 through
Arpanet, displaying the message: "I'm the creeper, catch me if
you can!" and messing with people's printers."

Now isn't *that* bizarre!!!!!!!!

It messed with your printer!!!!!


Considering there are so many
easier ways to get "sensitive data", including the good old
cold-cash-in-greasy-palm method, that I think it's hardly
worth the trouble. But why bother?

People do stuff all the time, just because they can.