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Printer security risk (I don't think so) 
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Hands up anyone who knows anyone who still uses dot matrix printers.

Me neither.

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:45 am
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We use one for our ticket printer but it is in a large metal box in a locked room. It will be retired soon when we move to e-ticketing.

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:54 am
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Quite a lot of people still use dot-matrix printers. Usually, as we do, for multi-part conveyance tickets.

I'm not suggesting that we print out confidential information on these printers, just simply that we still use them.

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:54 am
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l3v1ck wrote:
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Hands up anyone who knows anyone who still uses dot matrix printers.

Me neither.

Hand up here...

Payroll still uses them, as do sales and logistics (NCR paper for multiple copies). I think we have about 20 heavy duty Epsons (5000 series).

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:19 am
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This is a risk that is irrelevant to the average person. I thought that this was more of a risk of if the ink tape falling into the wrong hands. This will only be of use to government spy agencies who have the resources to convert this data. I would imagine that each brand of ink jet has audio characteristics that might confuse the external listener. It is also to block out with anti noise or sound insulation.

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:32 am
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The same technique has been applied to keyboards.
One reason touchscreen/non physical keyboards are slightly more secure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:46 am
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Key loggers need physical access, though for 99% of users the biggest threat is the keystroke logger because it can give access to passwords. Printers are a lower risk.

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:53 am
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Well, you only need access to the audio of either the printer or the keyboard. You just need a mic in the right place.

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:56 am
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ProfessorF wrote:
The same technique has been applied to keyboards.
One reason touchscreen/non physical keyboards are slightly more secure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging


Ah but now you can analyse the smudges and hack a device.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/36 ... ge-attacks

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:19 am
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My Star LC-10 is still in use. They still stock the ribbons for this 20 year old printer in my local Staples!

It's incredibly cheap to run, the output is fine for text and it does carbon copies. Not that I remember the last time I personally used carbon.

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:47 pm
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JJW009 wrote:
My Star LC-10 is still in use. They still stock the ribbons for this 20 year old printer in my local Staples!

It's incredibly cheap to run, the output is fine for text and it does carbon copies. Not that I remember the last time I personally used carbon.

:lol: I used to have one of those, I even got one of those accoustic cabinets for it (was a freebie).

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Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:12 pm
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