(Image Source: The Atlantic Wire / Flickr)

BY GARY COTTON

If you own an HP printer, you might want to sleep with one eye open. Researchers at Columbia University have discovered a way computer hackers can make your printer turn on you.But what do we care if hackers take over our printers? Wouldn’t they just waste our ink? A video from Mackinley Greenlaw says it’s a little more serious than that.

“It’s common sense that a hacker could access your network through your printer, anything with an Internet connection is susceptible to that kind of tinkering, but the real kick in the nuts is their ability to turn on the printer’s fuser, the thing that drives the ink to the paper, and leave it on -- thus causing the device to overheat, self destruct, and burst into flame.”

That’s the modern day version of the burning bush. One of the scientists behind the research tells MSNBC that technology developers have for too long ignored these security holes.

“The problem is, technology companies aren't really looking into this corner of the Internet. But we are … The research on this is crystal clear.  The impact of this is very large. These devices are completely open and available to be exploited.”

And CNET reports that once the problem is there, it’s hard to remove.
 

“ ... since security software doesn't analyze printers, hackers can do what they want after installing the new firmware. Even worse, removing the malicious firmware is nearly impossible.”

So should we just chuck our printers all together? HP released a statement saying reports of dangerous printers are exaggerated.

“No customer has reported unauthorized access. Speculation regarding potential for devices to catch fire due to a firmware change is false. [Our printers] have a hardware element called a “thermal breaker” that is designed to prevent the fuser from overheating or causing a fire.”

But a writer for Gawker says he’s staying on his toes. He says printers have always been a little shifty.

“So, now hackers can remotely set our printers on fire, open prison cells, take over satellites, and order hundreds of dollars of internet porn that shows up on our credit card bill … Now that we think about it, those printers always looked a little suspicious … ”