Law firms are under intense pressure to protect client confidentiality and comply with evolving data privacy laws. While cloud systems and email security get most of the spotlight, one major vulnerability is often overlooked: the print environment. That’s why legal CIOs and IT leaders are tightening workflows and turning to Managed Print Services (MPS) to close critical security gaps and ensure compliance.
Learn more about how ImageOne is a trusted MPS provider of secure print control for law offices.
Security Risks of Traditional Print Environments
Despite handling some of the most sensitive data, many legal practices still operate with outdated and unmonitored print infrastructure. According to a 2023 survey, 39% of IT decision-makers acknowledged that it’s getting harder to keep up with print security demands, and with law firm data breaches on the rise, the risks are far from theoretical and the stakes are higher than ever.
Unsecured printing devices, uncollected documents, and inconsistent access controls all contribute to growing vulnerabilities, creating multiple risks:
- Unauthorized access to printed documents
- Lost or misplaced client files
- Lack of audit trails for compliance
- Data interception over unencrypted print jobs
Traditional print setups are a liability for IT leaders tasked with safeguarding legal data. For legal IT leaders tasked with protecting privileged information, these risks are simply unacceptable.That’s where document security specialists and managed print services partners come in.
Key Benefits of Managed Print Services for Law Firms
With strict confidentiality requirements and mounting regulatory obligations, law firms can’t afford security blind spots—especially in the print environment. Even a single unsecured print job can lead to reputational and financial damage in a document-heavy legal environment.
According to a recent survey from Above the Law and Arctic Wolf:
- 56% of law firms that experienced a security breach lost confidential client data—a devastating outcome for any legal practice. Of these, 44% saw their cybersecurity insurance premiums rise or their coverage dropped altogether, and 42% suffered brand or reputational damage following the breach.
Managed Print Services (MPS) directly address these challenges by:
- Strengthening print security
- Improving control
- Enhancing operational efficiency
- Optimizing workflows
- Freeing up valuable IT resources.
Here are a few of the top ways an MPS partner helps law firms stay secure and compliant:
Document Security and Confidentiality
From case files to court documents, print materials must remain confidential. MPS platforms ensure documents are released only to the authorized user via secure print release–requiring user authentication at the device. End-to-end encryption protects all data in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorized interception.
Audit Trails and Regulatory Compliance
Law firms today are accountable for multiple overlapping compliance requirements, and maintaining compliance requires visibility. MPS providers help law firms demonstrate due diligence in securing client data and keeping records compliant with all document activity.
These records support your firm’s obligations under key regulations such as:
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (duty to safeguard client confidentiality)
- GDPR (for firms with international clients)
- HIPAA (for firms handling health-related legal cases)
- State-specific privacy laws (e.g., California’s CCPA)
MPS can support these needs with secure printing, comprehensive print logs that track who printed what, when, and where, and automated policy enforcement—all designed to prove and improve your security posture.
Threat Detection and Access Control
MPS becomes an extension of your IT security strategy, offering tools to monitor unusual behavior—like bulk print jobs or activity outside regular hours—and to restrict device access based on team, department, or user role.
Ensure your print environment is compliant with Document Security Services from imageOne.
Centralized Management and Updates
Rather than juggling fleetwide firmware updates and patching across multiple devices, an MPS partner can centralize security and performance management. With policy enforcement and consistent configurations, your entire print environment stays secure, and your IT team stays focused on bigger priorities.
Risk Reduction from Minimizing Human Error
Misdelivery and human error are leading causes of law firm data breaches – In 2024, NetDocuments found that 37% of legal sector breaches in the UK were due to information being shared with the wrong person via email, post, or verbally.
An MPS partner implements smarter workflows to significantly reduce the chance of documents being misrouted, forgotten, or exposed. MPS experts can help legal firms digitize key processes, minimize reliance on physical paper, and keep sensitive client information under control.
How Managed Print Services Strengthen Legal Security
Most legal professionals operate under immense pressure to protect a wide range of sensitive information—client data, court filings, contracts, and more. Yet across many legal offices, printed documents are still left uncollected on output trays, multifunction printers run without proper updates, and device access is inconsistent.
These oversights aren’t minor—they create real, measurable vulnerabilities that can lead to data breaches or failed compliance audits. imageOne’s Managed Print Services secure every step of the print lifecycle with an approach built for legal environments.
Secure Print Release
Authentication is key to protecting confidential information. Our MPS solutions require each user to verify their identity at the printer using a PIN code, ID badge, or biometric verification before any document is released. That means sensitive files never sit unclaimed on shared devices and are only accessed by those authorized to see them.
Encrypted Print Job Transmission
Leading MPS solutions encrypt documents while they are in transit to the printer and while stored on the print server. From the moment a document is sent to print, this end-to-end encryption protects against interception by bad actors—whether external threats or internal mistakes.
Role-Based Access Control
Not everyone in your firm needs access to every document. Legal compliance increasingly requires robust documentation of who accessed what information and when. MPS platforms offer detailed logging and reporting capabilities, giving IT teams full visibility into all organizational print activity—essential for regulatory audits and internal investigations.
With imageOne’s MPS solutions, permissions can be tailored by role, department, or case team—so users can only print what they’re authorized to. Every action is tracked, helping you meet governance standards and prepare for audits with ease.
Ensure your print environment is protected with Document Security Services from imageOne.
Centralized Monitoring and Audit Trails
Visibility matters. MPS can provide centralized dashboards to give your IT team a complete picture of your print infrastructure. From real-time monitoring to automated reports, you’ll have the insights to catch irregularities, prevent misuse, and stay ahead of compliance requirements.
Regular Updates and Maintenance
Outdated software is one of the most common weak points in print security. When managed by a third-party provider, your print fleet receives regular firmware updates, security patches, and policy enforcement from a centralized dashboard. This keeps devices up to date with the latest security protocols – minimizing risk without burdening your internal IT staff.
The Business Case for IT Leadership at Legal Offices
MPS delivers measurable impact for IT leaders in law firms. It minimizes the risk of breaches, strengthens your compliance position, and reduces the print-related burden on your internal team. With transparent analytics and reporting, you’ll uncover inefficiencies, reduce costs, and advance your digital transformation efforts.
For CIOs and IT managers, MPS isn’t just about convenience—it’s a strategic investment in:
- Reducing data breach risk
- Improving compliance posture
- Freeing up internal IT resources
- Driving cost efficiency through usage analytics and waste reduction
- Faster progress on digital transformation
As hybrid work expands and cybersecurity threats evolve, law firms must bridge the physical and digital divide. MPS provides the foundation to do that—safely, securely, and strategically.
imageOne’s Managed Print Solutions for Law Offices
At imageOne, we don’t just manage print—we secure it. Our team combines legal industry experience, award-winning service, and top-tier technology to help law firms eliminate vulnerabilities, improve cost-effectiveness, and streamline workflows.
Whether you’re working with HP, Xerox, Canon, or a multi-OEM fleet, we tailor our document solutions to the legal sector’s unique workflows and compliance requirements.
If your firm hasn’t reviewed its print security strategy in the last 12 months, now is the time.
📅 Schedule a discovery call to learn how imageOne can secure your print environment, simplify compliance, and make your IT team’s job easier.
