Cloud printing
Cloud printing describes a type of printing that happens over a network and through the cloud. For example, a printer cannot connect to a smartphone or a tablet, but a user may want to print from these devices. Cloud printing allows any device to print to a printer using a cloud printing solution like Hewlett-Packard's ePrint and Microsoft's Universal Print. Unfortunately, there's no universal solution to cloud printing which means it's up to the printer manufacturer or operating system, and not all printer companies support cloud printing.
Cloud printing may also be used commercially to allow users to print to more expensive printers like plotters and 3D printers.
Cloud printing security
Like any device you connect to a network, when you connect a printer to a network, it introduces additional security risks if not properly secured. These risks include the following.
- A man-in-the-middle attack could see everything printed.
- Someone could hack into the printer and print anything to the printer.
- Any print job queued and stored on a server could be copied if the server storing that information was compromised.