I know, printers are the absolute worst. But there’s a new reason to pay attention to them: a major security flaw has been discovered in over 689 models of Brother printers and 53 other models from brands like Fujifilm and Toshiba.
It turns out that the default administrator password on these devices is vulnerable to being guessed by hackers. The worst part? This isn’t a problem that can be fixed with a simple firmware update because the password is set when the printer is shipped from the factory.
But don’t worry, there’s a simple fix. I’m going to tell you what you need to do to protect yourself. The biggest takeaway from this whole situation is a lesson we should all apply to every new device we own. Even with manufacturers making an effort to provide unique default passwords, this incident proves that those passwords might not be as secure as we think. We need to be proactive about our digital security, and it starts with a single, crucial step.
🔐 How to Secure Your Printer (and Other Devices)
The solution is straightforward: you need to change the default administrator password on your printer yourself. While you’re at it, you should also make sure to install any available firmware updates to patch the other seven bugs that were discovered.
These bugs could allow a hacker to steal your stored scans, access your contacts, and even execute commands on your device. This isn’t just about printers, either. The same principle applies to any new device that ships with a default username and password, including routers and baby monitors.
🛡️ The Power of a Password Manager
Changing passwords on all your new devices might sound like a lot of work, but it’s incredibly easy if you use a password manager. A good password manager will handle the work of generating and remembering random, strong passwords for you.
This is far more secure than trying to come up with your own password by taking part of a phrase or word related to the app or website and adding something extra to it. As the article points out, that’s a similar method to what Brother used, and it’s what led to this whole security flaw in the first place. Taking the time to change your passwords is the single most effective way to protect yourself from these kinds of vulnerabilities.
Works Cited
Yee, Alaina. “The big lesson from the huge security flaw in Brother printers.” PCWorld, Aug. 2025, pp. 25-26.
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