SMTP Issues in Managed Print Today
1. Basic Authentication Is Being Disabled
This is the BIGGEST issue.
Older copiers were designed to use:
- username
- password
- SMTP login
This is called:
Basic Authentication
Modern platforms now consider this insecure.
Microsoft has aggressively disabled Basic Auth because attackers use it for:
- password spraying
- credential stuffing
- brute force attacks
- phishing compromise
What Happens?
Suddenly:
- scan-to-email stops working
- authentication errors appear
- copier says “SMTP Failed”
- users think the copier is broken
But the real issue is:
The email platform blocked the copier.
2. MFA Breaks Copiers
Modern organizations use:
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Conditional Access
- Zero Trust policies
But copiers:
- cannot approve MFA prompts
- cannot use authenticator apps
- often cannot handle modern OAuth workflows
So the MFP becomes:
- a legacy authentication device
- blocked by modern security standards
3. SMTP Relay Restrictions
Many organizations now:
- block outbound SMTP traffic
- restrict SMTP relay permissions
- require TLS encryption
- whitelist only approved devices
Copiers often:
- use outdated TLS versions
- fail certificate validation
- cannot support modern cipher suites
This creates:
- intermittent scan failures
- connection timeouts
- relay denied errors
4. Printers Become Cybersecurity Risks
This is the issue many businesses overlook.
An improperly secured copier can:
- become an open relay
- expose credentials
- bypass security controls
- provide network persistence for attackers
That’s why IT departments are becoming much stricter about:
- SMTP permissions
- scan-to-email policies
- device authentication
- firmware updates
5. Firmware Limitations
Older MFPs simply:
- were not designed for modern security
- lack OAuth support
- lack modern TLS support
- cannot handle advanced encryption
So even if the copier still prints perfectly:
- scanning may become unusable
This creates a hidden lifecycle problem:
The copier hardware still works — but the security standards moved beyond it.
The Microsoft 365 Problem Specifically
Microsoft has:
- deprecated Basic Auth
- tightened SMTP AUTH
- pushed OAuth
- enforced Conditional Access
- increased anti-spam protections
As a result:
- old scan configurations fail constantly
- customers blame the copier
- the actual issue is cloud identity security
This is not just a setup issue!
DBB is your communications and workflow technology partner. We understand:
- Microsoft security changes
- cloud identity
- cybersecurity compliance
- modern workflows
- secure communications
Modern Solutions for Secure Scan to Email
The quickest and easiest solution we provide is an SMTP Relay. This is a very reliable solution.
The second option to consider is a cloud scanning platform which would bypass SMTP entirely. This type of solution will allow you to integrate directly with:
- OneDrive
- SharePoint
- Teams
- Google Drive
- Laserfiche
Let’s talk about Laserfiche for a moment. This would be a strategic solution to this SMTP problem. Laserfiche provides Secure Workflow Automation.
Instead of emailing scans, Laserfiche would allow you to:
- route documents directly into workflows
- automate indexing
- eliminate insecure email transport
Finally, OAuth Support is also an option. Some of the newer MFPs now support OAuth 2.0, which is the future of Microsoft modern authentication. However, be aware, not all devices support it and setup is more complex.
Scanning to email used to be simple but modern email security has made it much more difficult. Most organizations do not realize their copier/MFP is essentially acting like an old email server trying to send mail into a highly secured modern cloud environment. If your scan to email worked for years but has suddenly stopped working or your copier is saying authentication failed, please reach out to the experts at Doing Better Business, today!