Printers can carry a hidden hacker risk, causing network nightmares
Printers can carry a hidden hacker risk, causing network nightmares
Publish Date: 2026-05-25 11:46:00
Source Domain: www.12onyourside.com
Baton Rouge, La. (InvestigateTV) — Honduras native Carlos Rubi found his calling protecting networks in America’s private companies and public entities after settling in his second home of Houston, Texas, about ten years ago.
“It didn’t matter my accent, as long as I was here to try and help people, they would be willing to receive me,” Rubi said.
Rubi, a cyber security expert, now works for LA Computech, a company headquartered in Louisiana that is responsible for making sure public and private entities are secure. The company supports networks and systems at nearly 3,000 locations across the country.
For more than a decade, Rubi has found success learning about risks and securing networks.
“And that’s the part that I love,” Rubi said. “That’s what helped me.”
Rubi is now focused on what he believes is an overlooked cybersecurity risk: multifunction printers.
He and his business partner, Nate Michel, are on a public awareness campaign to let people know poorly protected printers can give hackers a key to get right into a network.
Cybersecurity professionals Carlos Rubi and Nate Michel say printers are an overlooked attack surface.(InvestigateTV)
The security gap
“We found a gap. We found a gap in cybersecurity,” Michel said.
That gap, Michel said, has led to vulnerabilities from coast to coast. Earlier this year, InvestigateTV found possible printer problems across the country after receiving a confidential audit of several agencies’ machines.
A confidential audit reviewed by InvestigateTV raises concerns about potential vulnerabilities affecting network-connected printers across multiple agencies.(InvestigateTV)
Humming in the corner of offices across America, many modern office printers and multifunction devices do more than scan and copy documents. Depending on the model and settings, they may store documents, scan histories, address books, network settings or other sensitive information. Modern office printers can also have hard drives,…
