When most businesses think about cybersecurity vulnerabilities, they picture hackers breaking into servers or sophisticated malware targeting sensitive data. But sometimes security risks are hiding in plain sight, inside your own office technology ecosystem.
From the printers that sit in the corner to the laptops that employees take home each night, every device is a potential doorway for cybercriminals. Unfortunately, many organizations overlook possible gaps until it’s too late.
Let’s take a closer look at five hidden cybersecurity risks too many offices ignore, and what you can do to protect your business.
1. Printers and Copiers: The Forgotten Gateways
A recent ConnectWise report found that 94% of SMBs experienced at least one cyberattack, with a growing number traced back to overlooked endpoints like printers. That’s a costly mistake.
Office printers and multifunction copiers are workhorses of modern business. But because they don’t look like “computers,” many companies fail to treat them as part of the IT environment.
Most modern printers store copies of documents, connect directly to your network, and can be accessed remotely. Without proper security controls, they can become a cybersecurity risk, able to be hacked to expose sensitive data or worse, serve as an entry point to the rest of your systems.
How to protect your business:
- Change default admin passwords on all devices.
- Enable user authentication and data encryption.
- Keep printer firmware updated just like you would with PCs and servers.
2. Unpatched Software and Systems
Hackers love old software. Every time a vendor releases a patch, attackers quickly look for businesses that haven’t applied it yet. If your organization is running outdated operating systems, applications, or firmware, you’re essentially leaving the front door wide open.
Even organizations with IT teams sometimes struggle to keep up with the sheer number of updates required across devices, applications, and cloud tools. One overlooked patch can expose your entire network to cybersecurity threats.
How to protect your business:
- Implement automated patch management wherever possible.
- Regularly audit systems to ensure all updates are applied.
- Partner with a managed IT provider if internal bandwidth is limited.
3. Weak Passwords and Poor Access Controls
It’s still one of the simplest but most damaging vulnerabilities: weak or reused passwords. 94% of passwords leaked in 2024–2025 were reused or weak, according to a study analyzing over 19 billion exposed credentials. Many breaches begin with attackers stealing or guessing login credentials. Without multi-factor authentication (MFA) or strong access policies, it only takes one compromised password to expose an entire office ecosystem.
Shared logins for printers, copiers, or shared drives can be particularly risky; if a single employee’s credentials are compromised, hackers gain access to everything that account touches.
How to protect your business:
- Require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all critical systems.
- Enforce strong password policies (length, complexity, expiration).
- Use role-based access so employees only access what they need.
4. Shadow IT: The Tools You Didn’t Approve
In most offices, employees rely on more apps and tools than IT realizes. Maybe it’s a cloud storage app to share files quickly, or a free project management tool a team adopted without official approval. While convenient, these “shadow IT” tools create blind spots, turning into cybersecurity risks.
If IT doesn’t know about an app, it can’t secure it. Unapproved tools may lack encryption, store data in unsafe locations, or fail to comply with regulations, leaving your business open to greater cybersecurity risk.
How to protect your business:
- Survey employees to uncover unauthorized apps in use.
- Offer approved, secure alternatives that meet their needs.
- Implement cloud access security tools (CASBs) to monitor usage.
5. Human Error and Lack of Awareness
Technology is only as strong as the people using it. Unfortunately, phishing emails remain one of the top ways hackers breach organizations. An estimated 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent each day globally — over 1 trillion per year — making phishing the most pervasive form of cybercrime. Employees who aren’t trained to spot suspicious links or attachments can unknowingly open the door to ransomware or data theft.
And it’s not just phishing; simple oversights like misconfigured cloud settings, a lost device, or clicks on a malicious website can all have serious consequences.
How to protect your business:
- Provide ongoing cybersecurity awareness training for all employees.
- Run phishing simulations to test awareness in real time.
- Establish clear policies for reporting suspicious activity.
Why These Cybersecurity Risks Go Overlooked
So why do so many businesses miss these vulnerabilities? In most cases, it’s because they seem small compared to “big” IT issues. A copier doesn’t sound like it could be a security gap. A password policy feels like an inconvenience. An unapproved app looks like a productivity booster. But cybercriminals know that’s where opportunity lies. They target the weak spots others ignore.
Eliminating Cybersecurity Risks in Your Office Technology Ecosystem
Protecting your office doesn’t mean locking everything down so tightly that productivity grinds to a halt. The goal is balance, securing the ecosystem while enabling employees to work efficiently.
Here are some best practices:
- Take a holistic view of your office technology, including printers, endpoints, cloud apps, and networks.
- Automate wherever possible: patching, monitoring, and updates.
- Partner with experts who can provide 24/7 oversight and guidance.
A Trusted Partner You Already Know
As a Konica Minolta customer, you already trust us to power your office technology. But what you may not know is that All Covered, a division of Konica Minolta, specializes in IT services and cybersecurity.
From securing printers and endpoints to training employees and monitoring networks, All Covered helps businesses close the cybersecurity gaps hackers love to exploit.
Hackers hate us. Clients love us.
Identify Your Hidden Cybersecurity Risks
No two businesses are the same. That’s why the first step to better protection is a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment. Our experts will analyze your IT environment, uncover hidden vulnerabilities, and provide a clear action plan to strengthen your defenses.
Don’t wait for a breach to reveal what you missed. Start protecting your business today.
