# Are printers, cameras and other office devices a way in for attackers?

Yes, and often an easy one. Printers, IP cameras, video recorders, smart TVs and door systems run small operating systems that are rarely updated, often keep their default passwords and cannot run antivirus. Attackers use them in two ways: as a hidden foothold that nobody watches, and as a starting point for scanning the rest of the network. Change default passwords, update the firmware, switch off services you do not use, and put these devices in their own network segment that cannot reach your servers, or the internet beyond what they need. Because you cannot install an agent on them, watch them from the network: from a SPAN or TAP port, NetSenX sees their destinations and flags beaconing and scanning, on every plan, without any software on the device.

FAQ: [Have I been hacked?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/signs) · https://netsenx.com/en/faq/are-printers-and-cameras-a-way-in-for-attackers

## Read next

- https://netsenx.com/en/is-someone-inside-your-network
- https://netsenx.com/en/detect-lateral-movement-c2-beaconing

## Related questions

- [Is our smart TV or conference room system a security risk on the office network?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/is-our-smart-tv-or-conference-system-a-security-risk)
- [A login from a new location: is it a breach or an employee on a new device?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/login-from-a-new-location-breach-or-new-device)
- [Do attackers leave anything behind after we rebuild our machines?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/do-attackers-leave-traces-after-a-rebuild)
- [Can we check our company network for botnet infections for free?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/can-we-check-for-botnet-infections-for-free)
- [What is a compromise assessment, and do we need one?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/what-is-a-compromise-assessment)