With the widespread adoption of Windows 11 after its predecessor has gone end-of-life, Microsoft has announced fundamental changes to the way we will be printing in the future. The Windows Modern Print Platform is Microsoft’s answer to the vulnerabilities that have been exposed in several manufacturers’ printer drivers over time, which have opened great holes in the defences of many enterprises.
Based on the IPP standard and compatible with any Mopria certified printer, the built-in MPP driver ensures smooth operation with the operating system without the requirement to install any third-party driver or software.
According to Sebastian McNamee, Business Development Manager for Workspace at Canon South Africa: “In future, users won’t require third-party printer drivers, they will go to the Windows app store and simply download the app for Canon devices. This will give them all the rich features of their Canon printer without the need to install a specific driver.”
As this new method of printing – one of the biggest changes to the Windows print stack in over 20 years – requires the output devices to be Mopria certified, does McNamee foresee any issue with Canon hardware. “As one of the four founding members of the Mopria Alliance, Canon has been working on these standards over the last 12 years, so is well placed to embrace this new technology. We reckon there are more than 120 million Mopria certified printers out there, so you hopefully will not have an issue making the switch”
Once an organisation has moved its printers over to MPP, there should be no further need for traditional drivers. This is where the second strand of Microsoft’s strategy comes into play: Windows Protected Print Mode. Users or administrators can enable this mode in the 'Printers & Scanners' section of their system settings. However, McNamee sounds a note of warning: “Make sure you have taken account of all your print sources before enabling this mode, as once enabled, it will remove any existing printers and will only leave your MPP devices untouched.”
Windows Protected Print mode is a security feature designed to enhance security by eliminating third-party drivers and using the modern print stack and Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) to reduce vulnerabilities. According to Microsoft, the Windows print system has been a target of attacks, with print bugs accounting for a number of the cases reported to the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC).
There are other benefits, as McNamee explains: “Windows Protected Print will not just improve security in the print environment. It is also compatible with zero trust frameworks. We know that every customer is worried about cyber attacks and ransomware, and they all want to improve their defence against the threats, so we are seeing growing adoption of zero trust frameworks in southern Africa.”
When customers implement a micro-segmented zero trust design, they can use Microsoft Universal Print in conjunction with Windows Protected Print to manage their printers and output. Alternatively, for easier management, more controllability and transparency, they can upgrade to Canon uniFLOW Online for a truly enterprise-level secure print solution.
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