Abstract:
Secure Printing is a method to ensure the safety of a document to be printed from the point of issuance to the point of reception over a network. In a networked environment, it is common to have shared printers. Naturally the data sent over such a network can be picked up by sniffer programs. If such data is unencrypted, its contents are easily readable. In matters of national security or high value businesses, this is an unacceptable risk. Thus secure printing is required.
The data sent over a network is encrypted at the user end (making it an unreadable jumble), it’s hash is generated and sent over the shared network. At the other end the data sent is decrypted using a Raspberry Pi with code installed, after checking its hash (making it readable again). The shared secret key is distributed beforehand. Thus the data remains secure as it traverses the network to reach its destination. If sniffer programs obtain possession of it while in the network, it remains unintelligible. While if the data is altered, hash check alerts the original sender and cancels that sessions print job.
Secure printing therefore not only protects the document from being read in a passive attack but also from an active Man In The Middle (MITM) attack. The proof of its effectiveness is demonstrated by using the Wireshark software, which performs the attack on the system, and the attacker is unable to either read or edit (and print) the document sent over the network. In the latter case, hash check will invalidate the print request (due to mismatch) and alert the original sender that the document sent for printing has been tampered with and that the system is under attack. This acts as an additional check, as the attacker would likely be unable to decrypt the original encrypted document in the first place.
