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HP cites threat of viruses from non-HP printer cartridges to justify blocking their use, experts sceptical
HP CEO Enrique Lores has sought to justify the company’s controversial Dynamic Security feature, which disables any printer with a third-party cartridge installed, by stating that non-HP cartridges might be used to inject malware into the printer and, therefore, the network it’s on. Although HP cites a single research article to back this claim, several security experts have contradicted it, saying the risk is practically non-existent, and that HP could easily patch the threat through other means.
Addressing this issue, HP CEO Enrique Lores, in an interview with CNBC, has highlighted the fact that ‘hacked’ non-HP ink cartridges can be used to inject a virus into the printer, and from there to the network. The general view seems to be that not only would it be difficult and impractical to accomplish in the real world, but that if any unexpected code such as a malware is detected, it could easily be blocked by the printer, without resorting to disabling the device entirely. For relatively economical home printing, the Canon MegaTank G3270 and the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 all-in-one wireless printers provide the option to refill ink at lower cost than buying cartridges.
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