Lexmark XC9325 Security White Paper - Page 15

Secure Remote Management 15 • IP Security (IPsec) connection failures • Time-changed events • Scan process events • Embedded Solutions Framework (eSF) application events Note: Events can also be logged by eSF applications. Generated logs can be stored in the following ways: • Stored internally in the device • Sent to a remote syslog server in real time • E-mailed to administrators • Exported through the device web page Logs can also be digitally signed for security. Digitally Signed Firmware Updates Overview Lexmark devices support a firmware download mechanism that enables the firmware that controls the device's behavior to be updated. This is a common feature among Lexmark products that is useful for feature upgrades or issue resolution. However, it is important that these firmware updates are carefully controlled to avoid any exposure to unauthorized code. Benefits • MFP capabilities can be maintained and extended through the application of authorized firmware updates. • Unauthorized firmware packages and applications cannot be added to the MFP. If the code was not built and signed by Lexmark, the MFP rejects and discards the package. Details Lexmark devices inspect all downloaded firmware packages for a number of required attributes before the firmware is adopted or executed. The firmware must be packaged appropriately in a proprietary format. In addition, packages must be encrypted with a symmetric encryption algorithm through a key that is known only to Lexmark and is embedded securely in all devices. However, the strongest security measure comes from requiring that all firmware packages must include multiple digital 2048-bit RSA signatures from Lexmark. If these signatures are not valid, or if the message logs that accompany them indicate that the firmware has been changed since the signatures were applied, the firmware is discarded. Firmware updates can be transmitted over the network so that devices can be updated all together simultaneously. This process can be automated and scheduled, and the process does not require someone to be present at each device. For security, the ability to perform this update over the network can be limited with access control restrictions to authorized administrators. Devices receive the code, validate it, adopt it, and restart automatically. The process takes just a few minutes, and all the devices are available for use immediately. Lexmark solutions-capable devices (those with touch-screen displays) support custom Lexmark eSF applications through an embedded-application platform. These applications must also be digitally signed by Lexmark before being adopted. This prohibits users from placing unauthorized applications on Lexmark devices.