Google Discontinues Scan-to-Email Functions on May 30
Please be informed that beginning on May 30th 2022, if you use Scan-To-Email on your Copier/MFP using Gmail, this functionality will no longer work due to changes Google is making with their email services.
More information on why this change is being made is available here.
Why are we informing you of this?
Unfortunately, this change falls outside GoodSuite and our influence. This change impacts the entire industry. Despite this, we understand the reasons why Google is making these changes. As you may be aware, we live in a volatile landscape in Cybersecurity with threat vectors ranging from local hackers to state-sanctioned crime organizations. Email has long been one of the most precarious forms of communication as it is also a preferred method for attackers to infiltrate your network through phishing and malware scams.
How does Scan-to-Email work?
When you scan to an email, the Scan-to-Email functionality requires the Copier/MFP to use your email inbox credentials (which were saved onto the device during the copier’s installation), it takes the scanned image from the copier which will be sent as an attachment to whichever destination you selected on the copier. The copier does not have a separate email inbox, which is why our IT analyst will always ask you for an email account that belongs to you (the customer) when installing the device. If you did not have your own email account at the time of installation and were unwilling to add one, we offered to create a free Gmail account on your behalf to use for the scanning and provided you with the credentials of this Gmail. Historically, Gmail has been more secure than other free email services because the security requirements and simplicity of account creation remained far and above the industry standard. Now, that is changing. Effective May 30th, Google requires a higher level of authentication for their free Gmail accounts. This rules out less-secure devices such as Copiers/MFPs.
So what can be done about this change and will you still be able to scan to email?
The short answer is YES, your Copier/MFP can absolutely continue to use the Scan-To-Email function, and if you use Gmail, then there are several options available to you. As soon as our engineers at GoodSuite learned about this change instigated by Google, we developed a couple of options that will minimize impact on your organization.
- Option 1: Use an email account owned and managed by your organization. This is the option recommended by cloud and email service providers such as Google and Microsoft. For Gmail, this would be a GSuite account and for Microsoft this would be an Office365 account. These accounts are securely managed and have security controls in place that allow for less-secure devices such as Copiers/MFPs to utilize them.
- Option 2: GoodSuite can host your email account. GoodSuite already offers full IT services and our cloud engineers developed an email server within Microsoft Azure which can act as your email host for Scan-to-Email purposes. This option allows us to enforce our own security rules and ensure that after every scan is complete, all scan data is wiped from the Copier/MFP and the cloud. Please be informed this option utilizes cloud resources which will incur a monthly fee, but we work hard to keep this fee minimal.
What Should I do?
First, determine if you use Gmail for your scan to email. You can find out by looking at your email that contains your scanned document attachment and looking at the sending address. If it originates from a @gmail.com address, then you likely have a free Gmail account as your scan-to-email service. Next, choose one of our suggested options – request a managed inbox from your IT support to handle your scan-to-email or contact the GoodSuite IT department to learn more about our cloud email host solutions.
We are here for you!
We understand the challenge these changes to Scan-To-Email will likely bring to your organization, but we at GoodSuite will always do our best to meet these challenges head on and keep you working at the Speed of Business. Our IT Department is ready and available to answer your questions. If you would like to learn more about the GoodSuite Cloud email option, please contact us.