Photocopy machines are located in almost every office in the world. Often located in public areas they are simple to use and almost everyone has occasion to do so as a legitimate part of their job. This makes spotting fraudulent use all the more difficult.

• Unauthorised copies can be made releasing confidential information.

• Documents which are classified as confidential should not to be copied without formal authority. See Classifying Information and Data.

• Authorised copies may be mislaid, disclosing confidential information to unauthorised parties.

• Ensure that you keep all copies in your control whilst copying.
• With sensitive information, only make the required number of copies - never any 'spares'.
• All original sheets must be accounted for at the end of copying.

• Unauthorised persons can nevertheless sometimes gain access to sensitive material and use copying facilities for personal or other reasons.

• Your Access Control should safeguard against access to unauthorised material.
• Challenge, and report to those responsible for security, any person observed copying documents seemingly beyond the scope of their job
• Challenge, and report to those responsible for security, any visitor copying your organisation's documents.

• Unauthorised people may see and remove copies during the copy / binding process.

• Never leave the copier or documents unattended.
• Gather each set of copies as they are completed.

• Unauthorised people may see the contents of the document during copying.

• Ensure that unauthorised people cannot read any documents whilst passing the machine.
• When doing confidential copying ensure other persons are not waiting to use the photocopy machine.

• Confidentiality can be breached by original sheets being left in machine.

• All original sheets must be accounted for at the end of copying.
• All unwanted sheets must be disposed of securely e.g. the shredder.

• Sheets of partially copied material can become jammed in the machine which can disclose sensitive information to unauthorised persons e.g. the person removing the blockage.

• Clear the damaged sheets personally, or closely supervise the clearance of the sheets.
• Dispose of all unwanted sheets securely e.g. the shredder.