Unauthorized Print Jobs

Improperly secured network printers are occasionally sent print jobs containing advertisements, offensive pictures and text, or gibberish. There are several ways to prevent this, and IMSS recommends employing one or a combination of the methods below.

Configure built-in access controls on the printer
Most printers have built-in access controls that allow you to restrict access at the network level. You can configure the printer to only allow printing from campus IP addresses. The configuration process can vary between different printers. Contact the Help Desk (x3500) for assistance.

Request a block at the campus border routers
If the printer does not have built-in access controls (or as an additional measure), you can request Information Security to block network traffic to the printer at the campus border routers. To do this:

Determine whether the printer is configured with a static IP address
- If you're not sure, contact the Help Desk (x3500) for assistance
If the printer does not have a static IP address, request one
- Create a new request in Caltech Help at https://help.caltech.edu
- Use request type: "IMSS • Network, Wireless & Remote Access • Host and Address Requests (DNS, DHCP)
- Provide the following information
  - Name of Responsible Party (RP) or systems administrator to act as a point of contact for this device
  - Building and Room where the device is connected to the campus network
  - Phone Number of RP (optional)
  - RP's Caltech Email Address (preferably your @caltech.edu email address)
  - Desired Hostname to be assigned to the device, if any
- Configure the printer to use the provided static IP
Once the printer is configured with a static IP address, request a campus border block for that IP
- Create a new request in Caltech Help at https://help.caltech.edu
- Use request type: "IMSS • Information Security • Security - General"
- Provide the following information
  - "Requesting campus border block for a printer"
  - Static IP address