Radio Equipment Directive (RED)

Why Do We Need RED Cybersecurity Requirements?

In today’s digital world, people increasingly rely on internet-connected devices for everyday activities—such as online shopping, banking, and streaming. While this brings convenience, it also opens the door to cybersecurity risks, including unauthorized access to personal data, financial fraud, and identity theft.

To address these growing threats, governments have introduced new regulations like the PSTI, Radio Equipment Directive (RED) and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act. These aim to ensure that connected devices are secure by design, meaning manufacturers must build in cybersecurity protections from the start.

Why Does RED Cyber Security Requirement Matter?

Security is no longer optional—it's essential. The Radio Equipment Directive (RED) is the EU’s updated framework to ensure that all wireless and internet-connected devices meet strict cybersecurity standards before they can be sold in the European market.

Starting , manufacturers must comply with the new RED cybersecurity requirements under Articles 3(3)(d), (e), and (f).

These cover:

• Network integrity: Devices must not harm or misuse network resources.
• Data privacy: Devices must protect users' personal data.
• Fraud prevention: Devices must include safeguards against fraudulent activity.

Why It Matters for Manufacturers

• Legal Compliance: Only RED-compliant products can carry the CE mark, which is required to sell in the EU.
• Penalties: Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and product withdrawal from the market.
• Market Access: Without RED compliance, manufacturers risk losing access to the EU market entirely.
• The responsibility lies with the manufacturer, not the end user.
• While end users may choose to disable certain RED configurations (e.g., for compatibility reasons), manufacturers must ship products that are RED-compliant.

Can you disable RED compatibility?

Who can choose to disable RED compatibility?

• Manufactures as stated cannot ship the products into Europe after 1st August 2025 unless they are RED compliant / configured.
• However, customers are allowed to reconfigure machines back to a non-RED specification
• The EU law states “it’s the customer’s choice“ but the reality is that some organisations will not be able to accommodate the changes with their existing infrastructure.

• The manufacturer will have to warn the user of security issues by turning off the security
• This must be displayed on the device when certain functions are turned off

What does this mean for users

What is the purpose of RED?

As you have seen, RED is there to improve a whole range of things.

A key benefit in this case is improved Privacy and Data Protection which should safeguards against fraud and protects personal data.

This is achieved by encrypting the data being sent from one device to another, like from a computer to a printer or from a mobile device, such as a phone or tablet to a projector.

Under the RED regulation, any information sent from one device to another has to be encrypted end to end, meaning it is encrypted at sending and de-crypted at receiving.

Encryption and Decryption

What does this all mean?

Encryption is a way of scrambling data so that only authorised parties can understand the information. In technical terms, it is the process of converting human-readable plaintext to incomprehensible text, also known as ciphertext (ciphertext is a system of letters, numbers, or symbols).

Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original, readable form, or back into a form that you can understand and use normally.

Think of it like unlocking a secret code to reveal the original message.

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RED Device Setup Workflow

The Radio Equipment Directive on Cyber Security comes into effect on the 1st August 2025.

This means all RED compliant devices will have their security functions enabled, and information transferred must be encrypted.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Before starting, please ensure the user has administrative access rights for the computer, as that is required to make changes to the system. If required, the security password can be found on a label on/in the device

 

PLEASE NOTE: This workflow is based on EPSON’s WorkForce product range so images and menu options may vary.

 

To Start - Power on Printer

At the first time of powering on a new product the user will have the option to “ allow” the save file options shown.

Read the message above

Once the unit is powered on, the user will have 2 options.

1. Check Later
2. Settings

 

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Option 1 - CHECK LATER

If you select “ Check Later” the default RED security setting will apply.

You will see a confirmation screen (Pictured below), Select OK

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Option 2 - SETTINGS

If you want to “ allow” the save file options, select the “ Settings” option to disable selected RED features.

Warning:
Read the message above carefully

Enabling Save Options – Settings Selected

1. As all security functions are enabled (by default), a user WILL NOT be able to save files to specific locations.
2. As you can see on the screenshot below, saving files to specified locations is “ Disallowed”.
   
3. To enable a user to save files to specific locations, they will need to select “ Allow” these functions.

   IMPORTANT NOTE:
   If you enable these functions the communication security may be reduced. For further details please see the Security Guidebook which can be found at https://support.epson.net/security

4. Click on OK once you have made your selection.
   
5. Once you have completed the selection, the " Information" screen (pictured below) will no longer be displayed on startup.
   
6. After Restarting the device, it will go to straight to the home screen.
7. Start-up / Power on screen
   
8. Standard Home Screen
   

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Check Later Selected

As previously mentioned, if a user selected “ Check Later” on the initial startup, the RED security settings will be ON / ENABLED.

If a user wishes to disable the RED settings and enable the “ Save to” options, then the recommend method to enable the this through the panel / screen on the device.

1. Start by selecting the “ Settings” option on the panel
   
2. The user will then see the information screen, Select Settings. Read the message above carefully!
   
3. The user will then see an information screen, explaining what can be enabled. Click on OK
   
   A second information screen is shown. Click on OK
   
4. Select Network Settings
   
5. Then select Advanced
   
6. After the Advance selection you should see a confirmation screen with the security warning message, click OK.
   
7. Select Network Communication Restriction
   
8. Select “ Allow” the save options that are required and then click on OK.
   

Once you have completed the selection, the " Information" screen below will no longer be displayed.

You will be returned to the “ Home” screen, and the setup is complete.

You should now be able to save files to the computer and any specified Network folder.

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Other Options - Legacy Modes

What can a user do to get things working again?

1. If compatibility with existing printing environment is compromised:
   • Install printer driver/application supporting RED
   • OR
   • Enable “ Legacy mode" using the following methods
     • Web Config
     • Epson Device Admin
2. If printing performance is reduced:
   • Enable “ Legacy mode" using the following methods
     • Web Config
     • Epson Device Admin
   • Re-configure Epson proprietary port or re-install printer driver/application

How to Enable “ Legacy mode” in Web Config

Tick the following three items

How to Enable “Legacy mode” Epson Device Admin

Connect to Web Config and tick the following three items within the network.

• WSD settings: Enable WSD.

Port management:

• (1) Allow printing from the LPR port.
• (2) Allow printing from RAW (Port 9100).

How to Enable “Legacy mode” on the device panel

In the Network settings select:

• LPR
• RAW
• WSD

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Factory Default

If in doubt, reset to Factory Defaults

If at any time the user gets confused or is not sure, what has and has not been changed, the easiest option is to reset the device back to factory defaults.

With a RED cybersecurity compliant product this means that the device will reset back to RED security compliant settings