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Secure Print Protocols in a Traditional Printing Environment

Secure Print Protocols in a Traditional Printing Environment. David.Staal@BarrSystems.com February 24, 2004. Contents. The Production Printing Environment What is ‘Production Printing?’ Protocols and Platforms Used Security Needs in Production Printing Possible Security Solutions

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Secure Print Protocols in a Traditional Printing Environment

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  1. Secure Print Protocols in a Traditional Printing Environment David.Staal@BarrSystems.com February 24, 2004

  2. Contents • The Production Printing Environment • What is ‘Production Printing?’ • Protocols and Platforms Used • Security Needs in Production Printing • Possible Security Solutions • IPP with TLS (SSL) • IPSec • Encryption for LPR/LPD and Raw Socket

  3. Introduction • Barr Systems provides print management software for the Production Printing industry. • Our customers are becoming more concerned about security as their printing moves to TCP/IP networks.

  4. What is Production Printing? • Production Printing is a phrase used to describe the traditional printing world started by IBM and Xerox. • Production Printing is characterized by: • Large data centers, often outsourced • High-speed, 100ppm+ printers • Large volumes of print in small windows of time • Typically statements, bills, checks

  5. More about Production Printing • Organizations that do Production Printing: • Banks and Credit Card companies • Mutual Fund companies • Insurance companies • Hospitals • Phone companies • Many branches of Government and Military • Just about any large corporation

  6. IBM Host Traditional Mainframe Printing SNA Connection Local Channel Printer RJE Remote Workstation

  7. Traditional Printing Environment • Data originates on IBM Mainframes • Prints on local channel-attached Xerox, IBM or Oce’ printers • Mostly EBCDIC Line Data (text), and some IPDS • Connections to remote print sites use: • SNA connections • Channel extension over dedicated lines

  8. IBM Host Production Printing Today TCP/IPLAN TCP/IP or SNA WAN Print Management Server

  9. Production Printing Environment • Data still originates on IBM Mainframes, or other large hosts, such as Unix systems • Prints on Xerox, IBM and Oce’ printers, but many now with TCP/IP interfaces • EBCDIC Line Data (text), and IPDS • Connections to remote print sites use: • SNA over TCP/IP • TCP/IP LPR/LPD or Raw Socket (Port 9100) • PC-based or Unix Print Management software used to manage multiple printers at print sites

  10. Why Security Now? • In the past, the communications protocols were more proprietary, and in more closed environments. • Now, more and more print traffic moves over TCP/IP networks. • Lots of confidential data, credit card numbers, account numbers, account information and medical information.

  11. What Kind of Security is Needed? • Confidentiality is the pre-eminent need, to prevent stealing of private information. • Message Integrity would also be useful. • Authentication is not a priority, because these printers or print servers are not shared to other users, and use well established paths and fixed IP addresses. • Encryption alone would provide what is needed most.

  12. Possible Solutions for Secure Print • IPP with TLS (SSL) • IPSec • Encryption for LPR/LPD and Raw Socket

  13. IPP with TLS (SSL) • If fully implemented, IPP with security would solve the problem. • Many products in the Production Print industry have not yet implemented IPP. • The IBM host and Xerox printer implementations of IPP apparently don’t include security. • The ‘special options’ for production print with LPR/LPD are not available in the IPP implementation on some systems.

  14. IPSec • An IPSec secure tunnel would make sense in the Production Print environment, since the path and IP addresses are fixed. • Most versions of Microsoft Windows support IPSec. • z/OS on the IBM mainframe supports IPSec. • The bigger Xerox printers run on Sun Solaris workstations, which should support IPSec. • Smaller printers from Xerox and other vendors may not support it.

  15. Encryption for LPR/LPD and Raw Socket • There is no current standard for security for these older protocols. • An Encryption standard, such as AES, would provide what is needed. • Some kind of key exchange, such as IKE, or a static key mechanism would be needed. • Compression before Encryption would be effective in improving performance. • Some vendors have already implemented this on their own.

  16. Open Discussion • What do you think of these approaches? • Are there other solutions? • What action, if any, should the PWG take?

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