denotes premium content | Feb 8 2012 
News
posted 1 Jun 2006
Survey slams sloppy printing habits
By Jessica Twentyman
Confidential company information regularly falls into the wrong hands because of sloppy printing habits, according to a recent survey conducted by IT analyst company IDC on behalf of printer maker Canon.
More than half (53 per cent) of respondents stated that they had found other people’s sensitive documents on a shared printer – two-fifths found confidential company reports, one-quarter found private company financial data and 18 per cent found personnel records containing private home addresses, mobile phone numbers and salary information. About one-third, meanwhile, admit to regularly leaving sensitive documents out in full view on their desks.
The problem does not just apply to business information – careless employees are leaving their own personal information on company printers. Three-quarters of respondents have found print-outs of other people’s personal e-mails and 70 per cent have found colleagues’ CVs on shared printers.
"These findings are shocking in the light of today’s compliance-driven business environment," said Matt Marshall, an analyst at IDC.
