TOKYO - Canon Inc. and Ricoh Co. said Monday their network-connected copiers capable of scanning and faxing documents could be vulnerable to a leak of data stored in them if users do not have a proper network security setup.

The government's National Information Security Center plans to examine such copiers from various manufacturers used by all government offices, people familiar with the matter said.

Documents stored in the copiers can be easily accessed by third parties via the Internet if user identifications and passwords are not set, the copier makers said.

Copiers at dozens of locations around the world are found on a website which can search for such vulnerable machines, according to an information security expert. These locations include some Japanese universities and there are copiers whose data containing contract documents and past examinations could be viewed by whoever wants to see them.

Ricoh said it does not know how many of its copiers already sold remain vulnerable, while Canon declined to give any number for units still at risk.

==Kyodo

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