Information processing apparatus, control method of information processing apparatus and program

Abstract

To provide a security-related function considering competition between two functions of a security policy function for setting a setting value depending on a security policy set to an information processing apparatus and a function performing collective setting of recommended setting values.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises: first setting means that sets a first setting value group associated with a security policy which is set to the information processing apparatus, to the information processing apparatus; second setting means that sets a second setting value group associated with one utilization environment which is selected out of a plurality of utilization environments, to the information processing apparatus; and control means that performs control such that the one utilization environment is not selected out of the plurality of utilization environments when the security policy is set to the information processing apparatus. And the first setting value group and the second setting value group is characterized to include a setting value corresponding to the same setting item.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device that performs settings of security-related functions collectively. [Background technology]

[0002] A security policy function is known that sets a security policy in an information processing device according to the security policy of an organization. In the security policy function, a setting value according to the set security policy is set in the information processing device. Since the setting value set by the security policy function is a setting value that reflects the security policy of the organization, other users cannot change the set setting value. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a user inputs a security policy setting into an information processing device to set the information processing device according to the security policy.

[0003] In recent years, information processing devices have come to be installed in a variety of environments, such as telecommuting and public spaces where an unspecified number of people share a network and information processing devices on the network, and the required security settings have become more complex. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology in which a user specifies a security level, and the security-related functions of an image forming device are set in a lump according to the security level. With this function, it is possible to set, in a lump, the setting values ​​recommended for the environment in which the information processing device is used and the security level required in that environment in the information processing device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-119809 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-185814 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, neither Patent Document 1 nor Patent Document 2 envisages an information processing device having two different functions: a security policy function for setting a setting value according to a security policy set in the information processing device, and a function for setting recommended setting values ​​collectively. In a case where an information processing device has these two functions, it is conceivable that the setting items set by each function will overlap, and it becomes necessary to consider a conflict such as which of the two functions to set the setting value for the overlapping setting item.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a security-related function that takes into consideration the conflict between the two functions described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the information processing device of the present invention comprises a first setting means for setting a first group of setting values ​​corresponding to a security policy set in the information processing device, a second setting means for setting a second group of setting values ​​corresponding to one usage environment selected from a plurality of usage environments in the information processing device, and a control means for performing control such that one usage environment is not selected from the plurality of usage environments when the security policy is set in the information processing device, and is characterized in that the first group of setting values ​​and the second group of setting values ​​include setting values ​​corresponding to the same setting item. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, in an information processing device having two functions, a security policy function for setting setting values ​​according to a security policy set in the information processing device, and a function for performing bulk setting of recommended setting values, it is possible to provide security-related functions that take into account the conflict between the two functions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage environment of an information processing device. [Diagram 2] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of conditions for classifying the usage environment of an information processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus 101. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a software configuration of the image forming apparatus 101. [Diagram 5] 3A to 3C are diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on an operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101 in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a web UI of the image forming apparatus 101 in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a security policy setting process executed by the image forming apparatus 101. [Figure 8] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a screen display process executed by the image forming apparatus 101 in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 3A to 3C are diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on an operation unit 320 or a web UI of the image forming apparatus 101 in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a security setting process executed by the image forming apparatus 101 in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0011] <First embodiment> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a usage environment of an information processing device according to this embodiment.

[0012] Image forming apparatuses 101 to 104, which are examples of information processing apparatuses in this embodiment, are installed in different usage environments 111 to 114. The usage environments 111 to 114 illustrated in Fig. 1 correspond to an in-house intranet environment 211, a direct internet connection environment 212, an internet prohibited environment 213, and a home environment 214 in Fig. 2, respectively.

[0013] The usage environment 111 corresponding to the in-house intra environment 211 is an environment in which an image forming apparatus 101 and a PC 121 are connected via an in-house LAN (Local Area Network) 131. A firewall 141 is installed at the boundary between the LAN 131 and the Internet 100. That is, communication between each information processing apparatus in the in-house intra environment 211 and the Internet 100 is monitored and protected by the firewall 141. Therefore, in the in-house intra environment 211, threats such as access to each information processing apparatus by an attacker from the Internet 100 are greatly reduced.

[0014] On the other hand, no firewall is installed in the usage environment 112 corresponding to the direct Internet connection environment 212. The direct Internet connection environment 212 is an environment in which the image forming apparatus 102 and the PC 122 are directly connected to the Internet 100 and communicate with each other. Therefore, the information processing apparatuses such as the image forming apparatus 102 and the PC 122 need to take measures against threats such as access by attackers from the Internet 100 by using a personal firewall function in each information processing apparatus or the like.

[0015] The usage environment 113 corresponding to the Internet prohibited environment 213 is a closed network environment isolated from different networks such as the Internet 100. Information processing devices such as the image forming device 103 and the PC 123 are connected via a LAN 133. In the Internet prohibited environment 213, network communication is possible only between each information processing device installed on the LAN 133. Each information processing device cannot be accessed by unspecified users on the Internet 100.

[0016] The usage environment 114 corresponding to the home environment 214 is an environment in which the image forming device 104 and the PC 124 are connected via a home LAN 134. The LAN 134 is a private network configured with a home router 144, but does not have a strong firewall security measure like the company intranet environment 211. Therefore, like the Internet direct connection environment 212, the information processing devices installed in the home environment 214 need to take measures against threats such as access by attackers from the Internet 100 by using a personal firewall function in each information processing device.

[0017] In this embodiment, a public space environment and a highly confidential information management environment (not shown) are assumed in addition to the usage environments 111 to 114. The above six classifications of usage environments will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0018] In this embodiment, the usage environment of the information processing device is classified into six categories, and appropriate security settings are provided for each category. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the concept of classification when classifying and defining the usage environment. Note that the following definition of the usage environment does not limit the present invention, and some of the usage environments exemplified in this embodiment or other usage environments may be defined. For example, assuming that the device is installed within a company, the usage environment may be classified by industry, such as finance or government agencies.

[0019] S201 is a classification as to whether or not the environment handles highly confidential information. An environment that handles highly confidential information can be said to be an environment in which security measures must be given top priority. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, an environment in which security measures must be given top priority is defined as a highly confidential information management environment 216.

[0020] If the environment is not one that handles highly confidential information, the classification of the usage environment is further subdivided. S202 is a classification based on whether the environment is an entry-controlled environment or not. This is an example of a classification based on whether unspecified users can physically access the information processing device, that is, whether users who enter the place where the information processing device is installed are restricted or not. Therefore, the classification condition of whether or not the information processing device is physically accessible is not limited to this embodiment, and conditions other than the entry management may be the classification condition. In addition, the entry management in this embodiment is not limited to an entry and exit system using a card. For example, an environment in which only people belonging to an organization work during business hours, people who can actually enter are narrowed down, and the door is locked outside business hours is also included in the entry-controlled environment.

[0021] When there is no entry management, that is, when unspecified users can physically access the information processing device, the usage environment is subdivided according to the classification conditions shown in S205. S205 is a classification based on whether unspecified users share and use the network within the environment. In this embodiment, an environment in which unspecified users share and use the network within the environment is defined as a public space environment 215. Also, an environment in which unspecified users do not share the network within the environment is defined as a home environment 214. In this embodiment, an environment in which unspecified users do not share the network within the environment, such as the home environment 214, that is, an environment in which the user can be identified, is defined as a private network environment.

[0022] The usage environment classified as having entrance control in S202 is further subdivided by the classification conditions shown in S203. S203 is a classification based on whether or not the information processing device in the environment is connected to an external network such as the Internet. An environment that is not connected to an external network such as the Internet is defined as an Internet-prohibited environment 213. Note that the Internet-prohibited environment 213, which has entrance control and is premised on a closed network, is a private network environment.

[0023] When the information processing device in the environment is connected to an external network such as the Internet, the usage environment is further subdivided according to the classification conditions shown in S204. S204 is a classification based on whether or not a firewall is installed. An environment in which a firewall is installed is defined as a company intra environment 211. An environment in which a firewall is not installed is defined as a direct Internet connection environment 212. The company intra environment 211, in which users who use the network in the environment can be restricted by a firewall, is a private network environment.

[0024] Next, the above-mentioned six usage environments and the security measures that should be taken for each usage environment will be explained using Table 1. Seven examples of security measures are given here.

[0025] [Table 1]

[0026] Encryption of a communication path is a security measure to prevent information leakage by encrypting communication contents on a network. An example of a function that realizes encryption of a communication path is TLS (Transport Layer Security). In an environment connected to the Internet, since there is a possibility that a third party may eavesdrop on the communication contents, it is desirable to encrypt the communication path. In other words, except for the Internet-prohibited environment 213, it is recommended to encrypt the communication path.

[0027] Disabling legacy protocols is a security measure to prevent spoofing and information leakage by disabling functions that use unsafe legacy communication protocols. An example of a legacy protocol is WINS (Windows Internet Name Service). As with encryption of communication paths, disabling legacy protocols is also desirable in environments connected to external networks such as the Internet. In other words, disabling legacy protocols is recommended except for Internet-prohibited environments 213.

[0028] A personal firewall is a firewall that is installed and used in an information processing device. Like a normal firewall, it monitors communication between the information processing device and an external network such as the Internet. Examples of firewalls include an IP filter and a port number filter. An IP filter is a security measure that reads destination information and source information of a communication packet and allows only communication packets that have been set in advance. This can prevent unauthorized access and information leakage. A port number filter is a security measure that closes unused ports and prevents intrusion from the ports. This can prevent DoS (Denial of Service), a cyber attack that applies a large load and causes vulnerabilities. In an environment that is connected to an external network and does not have a firewall installed, it is desirable to enable a personal firewall because there is a possibility of information leakage and DoS. That is, it is recommended to enable a personal firewall except for an Internet-prohibited environment 213 that is not connected to an external network and an in-house intranet environment 211 where a firewall is installed.

[0029] Strengthening the security of authentication means strengthening measures against spoofing, for example by prohibiting password caching, specifying the minimum number of characters for a password, etc. Except for the Internet-prohibited environment 213 connected within an isolated network, it is desirable to strengthen the security of authentication since there is a possibility of spoofing.

[0030] The physical attack countermeasure is a security countermeasure to prevent information from being physically leaked. In the image forming apparatuses 101 to 104, temporary data such as print jobs are generated in the hard disks. The image forming apparatuses 101 to 104 are provided with a complete erasure function that automatically completely erases the generated temporary data as soon as the job is completed. An example of the physical attack countermeasure of the image forming apparatuses 101 to 104 is the above-mentioned complete erasure function. If this function is set, the temporary data cannot be read even if the hard disk is physically removed. It is desirable to implement the physical attack countermeasure in the home environment 214 and the public space environment 215, which are environments where there is no entry management and physical access to the information processing apparatus cannot be restricted. It is also desirable to implement the physical attack countermeasure in the highly confidential information management environment 216, where reducing the risk of information leakage is given top priority.

[0031] The file sharing function is a function for sharing files on a network within an environment. In an environment in which unspecified users share a network within the environment, it is desirable to disable the file sharing function in order to prevent information leakage. That is, it is recommended to disable the file sharing function except for a private network environment in which specific users share a network within the environment. As described above, the private network environments in this embodiment are the company intranet environment 211, the Internet prohibited environment 213, and the home environment 214. Therefore, it is recommended to disable the file sharing function in the Internet direct connection environment 212, the public space environment 215, and the highly confidential information management environment 216 other than these. An example of the settings related to the file sharing function is SMB (Server Message Block) server settings.

[0032] Disabling an external storage device means, for example, setting a USB (Universal Serial Base) storage device so that it cannot be used as an external storage device in the information processing device. In the image forming apparatuses 101 to 104, the USB storage device is used as a storage destination for scanned data. Disabling the external storage device makes it possible to prevent information from being written to the external storage device and to prevent information leakage. It also makes it possible to prevent computer virus infection via the USB storage device and the associated information leakage. The threat of information leakage through an external storage device such as a USB is common to all usage environments. Therefore, it is desirable to disable the device in all usage environments.

[0033] Table 2 shows the recommended setting items and values ​​for each usage environment, which are based on the security measures described above. For items for which a setting is recommended, the recommended setting value is indicated as "on," "off," "deny," etc. When the user selects a usage environment on the screen shown in Figure 5(b) (to be described later), the recommended setting value for the selected usage environment will be applied.

[0034] Image forming apparatuses 101 to 104, which are examples of information processing apparatuses, have a wide variety of setting items, such as setting items related to security functions and other setting items, and perform various controls according to setting values ​​corresponding to the setting items. In this embodiment, the target items for collective setting of security functions are the 22 items shown in Table 2.

[0035] [Table 2]

[0036] LPD, RAW, WSD, and IPP are protocols used for printing to communicate between client devices and printers. Unlike other protocols, IPP itself provides user authentication, access control, and communication data encryption functions, making it a more secure printing protocol than other protocols. For this reason, it is recommended that "Use IPP Printing" be set to "On" in highly confidential information management environments that require high security. Also, it is recommended that LPD, RAW, and WSD, which have weaker security than IPP, be set to "Off" except in trusted environments such as in-house intranet environments and environments where Internet access is prohibited.

[0037] SNMP is a protocol for monitoring and controlling communication devices on a network, and allows you to check the number of pages printed by a printer and error information using a PC. SNMPv1 determines the communication range using information called a community name, but since the community name is sent over the network in plain text, there is a risk of information leakage. For this reason, it is recommended that this option be set to "Off" except in trusted environments such as company intranet environments and Internet-prohibited environments that do not connect to the Internet.

[0038] A dedicated port is a port used to set and refer to printer information from the printer driver, etc. If the "Use dedicated port" item is set to "Off," printer information will not be obtained when using the printer driver, etc., over a network connection. In environments directly connected to the Internet or in public spaces, there is a risk of information leakage, so it is recommended that this item be set to "Off." It is also recommended that it be set to "Off" in environments requiring high security and high confidential information management.

[0039] Automatic deletion of interrupted jobs is a function that automatically deletes print jobs that are interrupted due to an error, etc. It prevents a situation where an interrupted print job is resumed after a period of time and the printed document is left unattended, reducing the risk of information leakage. It is recommended that this setting be set to "On" in home environments and public space environments without access control, and in highly confidential information management environments that require high security.

[0040] A transmission result report is a report used to confirm whether a transmission to the intended recipient was successful. This item sets whether to automatically print a report of the transmission results of fax, e-mail, I-fax transmission, and storage to a file server or user box. Setting the transmission result report to "Off" prevents reports containing information such as the contents of the transmission and the transmission history from being left on the printer, reducing the risk of information leaks. It is recommended to set it to "Off" in home environments and public space environments where there is no access control, and in highly confidential information management environments that require high security.

[0041] Simple login is a method for logging in by pressing the user name displayed on the operation panel, which eliminates the need to enter the user name. A PIN can be set for simple login. This item allows you to set whether or not to always use this PIN. If a PIN is not used, the user can simply log in by selecting the user name displayed on the operation panel, but this poses the risk of spoofing. Setting this item to "On" reduces the risk of spoofing. It is recommended that this setting be set to "On" in home environments and public space environments where entry is not managed, and in highly confidential information management environments that require high security.

[0042] "Display job status before authentication" is an item that allows you to set whether or not to display a screen that allows you to check the job status before authentication, assuming that you are using a login service. Setting this item to "Off" prevents the job status from being viewed by an unspecified number of people, reducing the risk of information leakage. It is recommended that you set this to "Off" in home environments and public space environments where there is no entry management, and in highly confidential information management environments that require high security.

[0043] Job history is a history recorded when a print job is executed, and includes information such as the user name of the user who instructed the print job and the document name of the printed document. Turning off the display of job history can prevent information such as the document name and the user name who printed it from being seen by an unspecified number of people, thereby reducing the risk of information leakage. It is recommended that this setting be set to "off" in home environments and public space environments where entry is not controlled, and in highly confidential information management environments that require high security.

[0044] The audit log function makes it possible to audit security events. For example, the user authentication log can be used to check for unauthorized access to the device or attempts to do so, and the logs of device usage such as printing, document transmission, and setting changes can be used to audit for unauthorized use of the device. The key operation log is a log of key operations performed by the user, and includes, for example, the key operation log during login operations. By saving and analyzing these logs, it is possible to investigate how the printer was operated. By acquiring or saving the audit log and key operation log, it is possible to prevent users from repudiating unauthorized access or use. Since the risk of repudiation exists in all environments, these settings are recommended for all six environments.

[0045] Although not listed in Table 2, in a highly confidential information management environment that requires high security, it is possible to add the following setting items: For example, "Use Mopria," "Use AirPrint," "Use Remote UI," etc.

[0046] In addition, in a home environment, it is possible to add the following items. For example, items related to PJL (Printer Job Language) and Admin (Embedded Web Server) passwords, SNMPv1 / v2, and SNMPv3. For example, it is possible to control so that the administrator password of PJL and EWS cannot be changed from a device to which the centralized setting of the home environment is applied. SNMP is a device management protocol that allows an administrator to obtain and set the setting values ​​of an image forming device such as an image forming device via a network. If SNMP can be used, the setting values ​​of the functions of the image forming device can be freely changed, and the authority required for each setting can also be managed. In order to prevent general users working from home from changing the settings after the setting values ​​according to the policy decided by the company are reflected, it is possible to control so that settings such as the authority related to the device management protocol cannot be changed in the home environment. It is also possible to add setting items related to checking and updating the firmware version. It is also possible to add setting items for selecting whether to restrict access to PJL commands and setting items related to redirection to HTTPS.

[0047] Note that the setting values ​​are not limited to those in Table 2, so long as they are suitable for each usage environment. For example, in Table 2, a firewall is installed in a company intranet environment, so there is no need to configure a personal firewall. However, there may be cases where a firewall installed in the office is used in conjunction with a personal firewall. In light of this, it is possible to perform centralized configuration, including personal firewall settings, even in a company intranet environment or an environment where Internet access is prohibited. The same applies to other setting items.

[0048] Among the setting items shown in Table 2, the TLS settings and personal firewall settings are setting items related to the network in general, while the items related to the print protocol and the functions and device management of the image forming device, such as displaying the print job history, are setting items specific to the image forming device.

[0049] The information processing device according to the present invention has a function of collectively setting recommended setting values ​​suitable for a selected usage environment, using the above-mentioned definitions of environment classifications and recommended setting values ​​of security functions as examples. This function is called a collective setting function. Furthermore, the information processing device according to the present invention has a function of setting a security policy in accordance with an organization's security policy, and setting values ​​according to the set security policy. This function is called a security policy function. The security policy function will be described below.

[0050] The image forming apparatuses 101 to 104, which are examples of information processing apparatuses, have security-related settings corresponding to the security policy. Table 3 shows some of the target items of the security function settings corresponding to the security policy in this embodiment.

[0051] [Table 3]

[0052] The user can set a security policy by checking the security policy to be set on a security policy setting screen 610 on which a plurality of security policies are displayed as shown in Fig. 6(b). When an OK button 612 is pressed, a setting value according to the security policy is set in the information processing device. By using the security policy function, a setting value according to the security policy of the organization to which the user belongs can be set in the information processing device.

[0053] A security policy set in an information processing device can be exported and applied to another information processing device. A security policy set in another information processing device can also be imported into the device and applied. Furthermore, a security policy edited by device management software can also be imported and applied.

[0054] In this embodiment, the security policy can be set only by some administrators who have strong authority among administrators of the information processing device, whereas the collective setting function can be used by other administrators.

[0055] Table 3 shows an example of a security policy that can be set in the image forming apparatus 101. The first column shows the security policy displayed on the screen 610. The second and third columns show the setting items and setting values ​​according to the security policy in the first column. For example, if a user sets a security policy of "restrict LPD port", "Use LPD printing" is set to "off" in order to restrict the printing protocol to be used. Also, for example, if a user sets a security policy of "enforce recording of audit log", "Get audit log", "Display job history", "Get operation log", and "Display user name of print job as login name" are set to "on".

[0056] The above describes the batch setting function that sets the recommended setting values ​​suitable for the selected usage environment, and the security policy function that sets the setting values ​​associated with the set security policy. Some of the setting items corresponding to the setting values ​​set in each function are common. In this embodiment, the 14 setting items shown in the upper part of Table 3, which is a setting example of the security policy function, are common to the batch setting function shown in Table 2. That is, "TLS setting" in the first row to "display job history" in the 14th row are setting items also included in Table 2. Among them, the setting values ​​set for the setting items other than "use IPP printing" and "display job history" are the same in both functions. The setting value corresponding to the setting item "use IPP printing" is "on" in the batch setting function and "off" in the security policy function. In addition, the setting value corresponding to the setting item "display job history" is "off" in the batch setting function and "on" in the security policy function. In addition, there are setting items that are only targeted in the batch setting function and setting items that are only targeted in the security policy function. For example, the target setting items of the bulk setting function include settings related to IP address filters, automatic deletion of suspended jobs, and transmission result reports, but these are not target setting items of the security policy function.In addition, the setting items of "Get operation log" on line 15 to "Restrict new destinations" on line 24 of Table 3, which are target of the security policy function, are not target setting items of the bulk setting function.

[0057] Note that the setting items targeted by the security policy function shown in Table 3 and the setting items targeted by the collective setting function shown in Table 2 are merely examples and are not limited to these. For example, a setting item that is included only in the security policy function in this embodiment, such as "obtain operation log", may be configured to be included in the collective setting function as well.

[0058] Here, we will provide a detailed explanation of the setting items shown in Table 3 that are not explained in Table 2. "Get operation log" is an item that sets whether or not to record a log of user operations. "Display user name of print job as login name" is an item that sets whether or not to display the user name of a print job printed via a direct connection as the login name.

[0059] The "Wired / Wireless LAN Selection" setting item allows you to select the interface to be used for wired LAN or wireless LAN. By selecting "Wired LAN" as the setting value, you can prohibit the use of wireless LAN.

[0060] By setting the "Display warning when default password is used" value to "On," it is possible to set the device to display a warning message when using the password that was set when the image forming device was purchased.

[0061] If you set "Use Fax Memory Reception" or "Use I-Fax Memory Reception" to "On," you can set the received documents to be saved temporarily in a storage location on the image forming device instead of being printed immediately.

[0062] By setting the "Forced Hold" setting to "On," you can set the print data not to be printed immediately when printing a document from a PC. This setting reduces the risk of the printed document being seen by others or being taken by mistake.

[0063] In "Print when saved from printer driver," you can set whether or not to print one copy at the same time when you save a file from the printer driver. If you set this setting item to "Off," you can set it so that when you save a file from the printer driver, it will not be printed at the same time.

[0064] In "Restrict New Destinations," by setting the value to "On," you can set it so that when sending faxes or scanned data, you cannot specify the destination by entering characters, and can only send to destinations registered in the address book. The settings are divided into four categories: fax, e-mail, I-fax, and file, and the setting value for each category can be set to on or off.

[0065] In this embodiment, an image forming apparatus is provided that prevents conflicts in settings when controlling the setting items based on the above-mentioned environment classification and the setting items based on the security policy.

[0066] The specific details will be explained below.

[0067] <Hardware Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 101> The hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus 101, which is an example of an information processing apparatus in this embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that, although only the image forming apparatus 101 will be described in Fig. 3, the image forming apparatuses 102 to 104 and image forming apparatuses installed in public space environments and highly confidential information management environments (not shown) are assumed to have the same configuration as the image forming apparatus 101.

[0068] The image forming apparatus 101 includes a printer 330 that outputs electronic data onto a paper medium, and a scanner 340 that reads the paper medium and converts it into electronic data. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 101 having multiple functions is illustrated as an example of an information processing apparatus, but is not limited to this. For example, the image forming apparatus 101 may be a single-function printer or scanner, a 3D printer or a 3D scanner, or a similar device. The image forming apparatus 101 may also be a PC or similar device that is managed according to a security policy.

[0069] A control unit 310 including a central processing unit (CPU) 311 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 101. A read only memory (ROM) 312 is used to store a program executed by the CPU 311. The CPU 311 reads out a control program stored in the ROM 312 and performs various controls of the image forming apparatus 101, such as reading control and transmission control. A random access memory (RAM) 313 is used as a temporary storage area such as a main memory and a work area for the CPU 311. A hard disk drive (HDD) 314 is a storage device that stores image data, various programs, and various setting information. Note that other storage devices such as a solid state drive (SSD) may be provided. In this manner, the hardware such as the CPU 311, the ROM 312, the RAM 313, and the HDD 314 constitute a so-called computer.

[0070] An operation unit I / F (interface) 315 connects an operation unit 320 and the control unit 310. The operation unit 320 is provided with a liquid crystal display unit having a touch panel function, various hard keys, etc. The operation unit 320 functions as a display unit that displays information to the user and a reception unit that receives instructions from the user.

[0071] Printer I / F 316 connects printer 330 and control unit 310. Image data to be printed by printer 330 is transferred from control unit 310 via printer I / F 316. The input image data is output onto a recording medium in printer 330. Scanner I / F 317 connects scanner 340 and control unit 310. Scanner 340 reads an original placed on an original platen (not shown) and generates image data. The generated image data is input to control unit 310 via scanner I / F 317.

[0072] A network cable is connected to the network I / F 318, and the network I / F 318 can communicate with an external device on the LAN 131. In this embodiment, the network I / F 318 is assumed to be a communication interface for wired communication, but is not limited to this. For example, the network I / F 318 may be a wireless communication interface. Note that the network I / F 318 of the image forming apparatus 101 is connected to the LAN 131, but the network to which the image forming apparatus 102 is connected varies depending on the usage environment. For example, the image forming apparatus 102 is directly connected to the Internet 100. The image forming apparatuses 103 and 104 are connected to the LANs 133 and 134, respectively.

[0073] <Software Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 101> Next, a software configuration of the image forming apparatus 101, which is an example of an information processing apparatus in this embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Each unit shown in Fig. 4 is realized by the CPU 311 executing a program 400 corresponding to each unit stored in the ROM 312.

[0074] The operation control unit 410 displays a screen for the user on the operation unit 320. It also detects user operations, and switches the screen or updates the display based on the detection result.

[0075] The data storage unit 420 stores data in the HDD 314 and reads data from the HDD 314 in response to requests from other control units. The data storage unit 420 stores information related to security function settings in addition to setting information for determining the operation of the image forming apparatus 101. Specifically, the data storage unit 420 stores a recommended setting value database 421, pre-change setting data 422, current operation setting data 423, and a policy setting value database 424.

[0076] The recommended setting value database 421 is a database as shown in Table 2 above. That is, it is a database in which combinations of setting items and setting values ​​of security functions suitable for the usage environment of the image forming apparatus 101 are associated with a plurality of classified usage environments. Here, the setting items are items such as TLS setting and WINS setting. The setting values ​​are those shown in Table 2 as "on", "off", "reject", and the like. In Table 2, setting items with blank setting values ​​and diagonal lines indicate that they do not have a recommended setting value. That is, the setting value for the setting item is not changed, and the setting value before the setting change is inherited. In this embodiment, the recommended setting value database 421 is defined in advance by the vendor of the image forming apparatus 101 and stored in the data storage unit 420.

[0077] The pre-change setting data 422 is data of a combination of setting items and setting values ​​that were applied before the user selected an environment type on a screen 510 in FIG. 5 described later. Here, the setting items saved in the pre-change setting data 422 are setting items corresponding to the setting values ​​changed by the selection of an environment type. That is, in this embodiment, the setting items saved in the pre-change setting data 422 in a case where an Internet-prohibited environment is selected, for example, are three items: "Use USB external storage device," "Get audit log," and "Save key operation log." The setting values ​​that were applied before the environment selection, corresponding to the three setting items, are saved in the pre-change setting data 422. Basically, when the security setting control unit 430 described later performs collective setting, the pre-change setting data 422 is used to restore the setting values ​​in the case where a problem occurs such as the end user being unable to use a function desired by the end user in the operation setting after collective setting. In this embodiment, the pre-change setting data 422 is stored when an environment type is selected for the first time in the image forming apparatus 101, or when an environment type is selected for the first time after a cancel button 512 described later is pressed. That is, when the user selects an environment type successively, the pre-change setting data 422 is not updated.

[0078] The policy setting value database 424 is a database that combines setting items and setting values ​​of security functions associated with security policies. An example is shown in Table 3. The policy setting value database 424 is defined in advance by the vendor of the image forming apparatus 101 and stored in the data storage unit 420.

[0079] The current operation setting data 423 is data related to setting values ​​currently applied to the image forming apparatus 101. For example, it includes data on combinations of setting items and setting values ​​of security functions. When the setting values ​​of security functions are changed by a security policy function or a batch setting function, or when a user changes a setting value individually, the current operation setting data 423 is rewritten. After that, when the image forming apparatus 101 is restarted, the rewritten current operation setting data 423 is read by a program, and the image forming apparatus is operated with the applied settings.

[0080] Current operation setting data 423 also includes information indicating whether or not each security policy shown in the first column of Table 3 is set. When an OK button 612 is selected by the user on screen 610, which will be described later, for a policy that was selected at the stage when OK button 612 was selected, the policy is deemed to be set, and information indicating this is stored in current operation setting data 423. For a policy that was not selected, the policy is deemed to be not set, and information indicating this is stored in current operation setting data 423. Also, when a security policy is imported and set in image forming apparatus 101, information indicating whether or not each policy is set is stored in current operation setting data 423 based on the setting of the imported security policy.

[0081] Furthermore, the current operation setting data 423 also includes information regarding the usage environment of the image forming apparatus 101. By default, information indicating that the usage environment has not been selected is saved as this information. When the user selects an environment type on a screen 510 (described later) and presses an execute button 511, the information is overwritten. Information indicating the environment type selected from the usage environment list button 511 is stored in the current operation setting data 423 as information indicating the usage environment of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0082] The security setting control unit 430 sets the security functions of the image forming apparatus 101 in accordance with instructions from the user detected by the operation control unit 410. When an environment type is selected on the screen 510 and an execute button 512 is pressed, the setting values ​​associated with the selected usage environment are set collectively in the image forming apparatus 101. This is called a collective setting function. It is also possible for the user to individually input the settings of the security functions from an individual setting screen (not shown). The security setting control unit 430 sets the setting values ​​individually input by the user in the image forming apparatus 101. The setting of the security functions by the security policy function is performed by the security policy setting control unit 450, which will be described later.

[0083] The bulk setting function in this embodiment is a function that can set the recommended setting values ​​of typical security functions defined by a vendor in a batch. The security policy function is a function that applies a security policy edited by an administrator and sets setting values ​​associated with the security policy. This function prohibits individual changes to setting values ​​set based on the security policy. On the other hand, with the bulk setting function, even if a user such as an administrator has performed bulk setting using the bulk setting function, the user can change the setting values ​​of individual setting items to different setting values ​​again via an individual setting change screen (not shown) according to the actual usage situation.

[0084] The security policy setting control unit 450 sets a security policy for the image forming apparatus 101 in accordance with an instruction from the user detected by the operation control unit 410. When one or more security policies are selected on the screen 610 and an OK button 612 is pressed, setting values ​​associated with each selected security policy are set in the image forming apparatus 101. This is called a security policy function. As described above, this function applies a security policy edited by the user and prohibits changing the settings for specific security setting items to settings that do not conform to the policy.

[0085] A web UI (User Interface) control unit 440 controls a setting screen displayed on an external information processing device such as the PC 121 via the network I / F 318. A user can refer to and change the settings of the image forming apparatus 101 by using the setting screen on a web browser provided by the web UI control unit 440, using the means illustrated in FIG.

[0086] Next, the setting screen 500 and the setting screen 510 displayed on the operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that, although the setting screen 500 and the setting screen 510 displayed on the operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to provide a web page similar to the setting screen 500 to a web browser of an external information processing apparatus using the web UI control unit 440, and to perform setting operations via the web page. For example, an example screen displayed on the web page, which corresponds to Fig. 5(a), is shown in Fig. 6(a).

[0087] 5(a), a setting screen 500 is a screen that the operation control unit 410 displays on the operation unit 320. A recommended security setting menu button 501 is a button for transitioning to a setting screen for the user to perform collective setting. By pressing the recommended security setting menu button 501, the user can display a setting screen 510 for performing collective setting.

[0088] In FIG. 5B, a setting screen 510 is a screen that the operation control unit 410 displays on the operation unit 320. A usage environment list button 511 is a button for the user to select a usage environment. The user selects the usage environment of the image forming apparatus 101 from the usage environment list button 511 on the setting screen 510 and presses an execute button 513. In this embodiment, the user selects from the six usage environment options shown in FIG. 2. The operation control unit 410 of the image forming apparatus 101 detects the user's operation and transmits information indicating the user's selection result to the security setting control unit 430. The security setting control unit 430 collectively sets the security functions that are suitable for the usage environment selected by the user and that are received from the operation control unit 410.

[0089] The setting cancel button 512 is a button for the user to cancel the collective setting of the security functions after the collective setting is performed. The user performs an operation of pressing the execution button 513 with the setting cancel button 512 selected. The operation control unit 410 detects the user's operation and transmits information indicating a setting cancel instruction by the user to the security setting control unit 430. When the security setting control unit 430 receives the information indicating the setting cancel instruction, it cancels the collective setting of the security functions and returns to the original setting. Specifically, it overwrites the pre-change setting data 422 stored in the data storage unit 420 with the corresponding setting item of the current operation setting data 423. After the user selects the usage environment and the collective setting of the security functions is performed, it is considered that a problem may occur in the use of the image forming apparatus 101. In such a case, by providing the setting cancel button 512, it is possible to return to the state before the collective setting, and the problem can be dealt with immediately.

[0090] Next, a setting screen 600 and a setting screen 610 of the web UI provided by the web UI control unit 440 to a web browser of an external information processing device will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that in the present embodiment, the setting screens 600 and 610 of the web UI will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the setting screen may be a setting screen displayed on the operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0091] In FIG. 6A, a setting screen 600 is a web UI screen that the web UI control unit 440 provides to a web browser of an external information processing device.

[0092] The security policy setting menu button 601 is a button for transitioning to a setting screen 610 for setting a security policy. By pressing the security policy setting menu button 601, the user can display the setting screen 610 and set a security policy. The setting screen 610 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 6(b).

[0093] The recommended security setting menu button 602 is a button for transitioning to a setting screen 610 for the user to perform collective setting. By pressing the recommended security setting menu button 602, the user can display a setting screen (not shown) corresponding to the setting screen 510 for performing collective setting on the web UI.

[0094] In FIG. 6B, a setting screen 610 is a web UI screen provided by the web UI control unit 440 to a web browser of an external information processing device. A security policy list button 611 is a group of buttons for the user to select a security policy of the image forming device 101. The user selects a security policy of the image forming device 101 from the security policy list button 611 on the setting screen 610 and presses an OK button 612. In this embodiment, the user selects from the security policy setting items shown in Table 3. The operation control unit 410 of the image forming device 101 detects the user's operation and transmits information indicating the result of the user's selection to the security policy setting control unit 450. The security policy setting control unit 450 sets a security function suitable for the security policy selected by the user received from the operation control unit 410, and restricts the functions that can be used in the image forming device 101.

[0095] Next, the process from when the user selects a security policy on screen 610 to when the security policy is set will be described with reference to FIG.

[0096] Each operation (step) shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 is realized by the CPU 311 loading into the RAM 313 a program for implementing each control unit stored in the ROM 312 or the HDD 314 and executing the program.

[0097] When the security policy setting control unit 450 provides the setting screen 610 to the web browser of the PC 121, which is an external device, via the web UI control unit 440, the process shown in FIG. 7 starts.

[0098] In S701, the security policy setting control unit 450 judges whether or not it has received a command to set a security policy. Specifically, first, the PC 121 displays the setting screen 610 provided by the security policy setting control unit 450 on the web browser on the PC 121, and accepts an operation from the user. When the user operates on the setting screen 610, the PC 121 accepts the operation. When the PC 121 accepts that the user has selected a security policy and pressed the OK button 612, the PC 121 transmits information indicating whether each security policy has been selected to the image forming apparatus 101. The image forming apparatus 101 stores the received information in the current operation setting data 423 of the data storage unit 420. Then, when one or more security policies have been selected, it judges that it has received a command to set a security policy. When it is judged that it has received a command to set a security policy, it proceeds to S702, and when it is judged that it has not received the command, it waits for reception by repeating S701. It may be determined that a command to set a security policy has been received by importing a security policy distributed from another image forming apparatus or device management software, rather than by setting the security policy on screen 610. Similarly, when a security policy is imported, the settings of the imported security policy are stored in data storage unit 420.

[0099] In S702, the security policy setting control unit 450 sets security-related items according to the received security policy setting. The security policy setting control unit 450 writes the setting items and setting values ​​stored in the policy setting database 424 to the current operation setting data 423 to perform the setting. Specifically, the security policy selected is extracted by referring to the information received from the PC 121 in S701. Then, the policy setting database 424 is referenced to extract the setting items and setting values ​​associated with the selected security policy. The setting values ​​corresponding to the extracted setting items stored in the current operation setting data 423 are changed to the setting values ​​extracted from the policy setting database. As a result, the setting values ​​corresponding to the security policy selected on the screen 610 are set in the image forming apparatus 101. In addition, display control is performed so that the user cannot change the function whose use is restricted by this setting to a usable state. Specifically, control is performed so that the setting values ​​of the setting items corresponding to the selected security policy cannot be individually changed on the setting screen displayed on the operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101 and the setting screen of the web UI. When the security policy setting received by the security policy setting control unit 450 is a command to cancel the security policy, the following control is performed: The image forming apparatus 101 performs control to enable an operation to individually change the setting values ​​of the setting items corresponding to the relevant policy on the setting screen displayed on the operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101 and the setting screen of the web UI.

[0100] In this embodiment, the operation from the web UI has been described, but other embodiments using a setting screen displayed on the operation unit 320 may also be used.

[0101] Through the above processing, the user can set security-related items in the image forming apparatus 101 in accordance with the security policy settings.

[0102] Next, a process of determining whether or not a security policy setting has been set and displaying a setting screen for collective setting that takes into consideration conflicting operations when a security policy is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

[0103] Each operation (step) shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is realized by the CPU 311 loading into the RAM 313 a program for implementing each control unit stored in the ROM 312 or the HDD 314 and executing the program.

[0104] 8 starts when the image forming apparatus 101 is started and the operation control unit 401 is ready to receive an instruction to display the setting screen 500 on the operation unit 320, or an instruction to provide the setting screen 600 via the web UI control unit. Note that, although the present embodiment will be described taking as an example an embodiment in which the operation control unit 401 receives an instruction to display the setting screen 500 on the operation unit 320, other embodiments, such as receiving an instruction to provide the setting screen 600 via the web UI control unit 440, may also be used.

[0105] In S801, the operation control unit 401 judges whether or not a command to display the setting screen 500 on the operation unit 320 has been received. If the operation control unit 401 has received a command to display the setting screen 500, the process proceeds to S802. Specifically, the command to display the setting screen 500 is a command to press a button to display the setting screen 500 on another screen (not shown) displayed on the operation unit 320. When the operation control unit 401 detects that the button has been pressed, it judges that a command to display the setting screen 500 has been received. Note that, in a form in which the setting screen 600 is displayed on the web browser of the PC 121 via the web UI control unit 440, S801 is performed by the web UI control unit 440. First, the PC 121 detects that a button to display the setting screen 600 has been pressed on another screen (not shown) displayed on the web browser. Then, the web UI control unit 440 of the image forming apparatus 101 receives information indicating that fact as a command to display the setting screen.

[0106] In S802, the operation control unit 401 reads setting information from the current operation setting data 423 and determines whether a security policy has been set. The setting information read here is information indicating whether each security policy, stored in the current operation setting data 423, has been set. Based on this information, it is determined whether one or more security policies have been set. If it is determined that one or more security policies have been set, it is determined that a security policy has been set. If no security policy has been set, it is determined that no security policy has been set. If a security policy has been set, the process proceeds to S803. On the other hand, if a security policy has not been set, the process proceeds to S804.

[0107] In S803, since a security policy has been set, the operation control unit 401 changes the recommended security setting menu button 511 to a state in which it cannot be used by the user in order to restrict the use of batch setting. In order to realize a state in which it cannot be used by the user, in this embodiment, a shading process is performed on the recommended security setting menu button 501, and a state in which no user operation is accepted is set. That is, in S803, the operation control unit 401 performs a process of displaying the button 501 in gray in S804, and then graying out the button 501 so that it cannot be pressed. When the shading process on the security setting menu button 501 is completed, the process proceeds to S804.

[0108] In S804, the operation control unit 401 displays a setting screen that takes into consideration the conflict between the setting of the security policy and the batch setting. That is, when the security policy has been set in S802, the operation control unit 401 displays a security setting screen in which the button 501 is shaded on the operation unit 320. An example of the screen is shown in FIG. 9(a). Also, when the security policy has not been set in S802, the setting screen 500 without shaded is displayed on the operation unit 320. Note that the configuration of the setting screen that takes into consideration the conflict between the setting of the security policy and the batch setting is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 9(a). In S804, the color of the text "Recommended Security Setting" displayed on the button 501 may be lightened to gray and grayed out, and the button 501 may be displayed so that it cannot be pressed. Also, an embodiment may be used in which the screen is configured in a state in which the recommended security setting menu button 501 is not displayed. In S803, a process for displaying the setting screen that takes into consideration the conflict between the setting of the security policy and the batch setting in S804 may be performed.

[0109] Through the above processing, a setting screen that takes into consideration conflicting operations between security policy setting and batch setting, depending on the security policy setting status for the image forming apparatus 101, can be presented to the user.

[0110] Next, a setting screen when a security policy has been set will be described with reference to FIGS. 900 and 910. FIG.

[0111] 9(a), a setting screen 900 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen that is displayed when considering conflicting operations when a security policy is set for the setting screen 500. That is, this is a setting screen that is displayed when the recommended security setting menu button 511 is shaded in S803 of FIG.

[0112] The recommended security setting menu button 501 is shaded to prevent a display command for the setting screen 510 from being generated, so that the collective setting function cannot be used when a security policy that should be prioritized is set.

[0113] In FIG. 9B, a setting screen 910 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen that is displayed when a conflicting operation occurring when a security policy is set for the setting screen 600 is taken into consideration.

[0114] On the setting screen 910, the recommended security setting menu button 602 is not displayed, and the setting screen for collective setting is controlled so as not to be displayed.

[0115] By the above-described series of processes, in an image forming apparatus in which the most prioritized security policy is set, a setting screen that takes into consideration conflicting operations between functions for setting security-related items can be presented, allowing the user to use the apparatus in a state in which the relationships between the setting functions for multiple security-related items are organized.

[0116] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, when a security policy is set in the flow of Figure 7, a setting value corresponding to the received security policy setting is set in the image forming device 101 without taking into consideration whether or not the setting has been made by bulk setting.

[0117] On the other hand, when setting a security policy in the image forming apparatus 101 after the settings have already been made by the batch setting, there are the following problems. One is that the user cannot determine which control is given priority for the settings of security-related items that are controlled by both the batch setting and the setting based on the security policy. Also, as described above, the administrators who can set the security policy are some administrators who have stronger authority than the administrators who can use the batch setting function. Consider a case where recommended setting values ​​are set by the batch setting function before setting the security policy. At this time, for setting items that are not included in the policy setting value database 424 but are included in the recommended setting value database 421, there is a possibility that setting values ​​that are not expected by the security policy administrator are set by another administrator using the batch setting function.

[0118] In this embodiment, therefore, a security policy setting process that takes into consideration a case where a security policy is set from a state where settings have already been made by collective setting will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Note that the hardware configuration, software configuration, and configuration of the setting screen of the image forming apparatus 101 according to this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Also, the flow shown in Fig. 8 is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The flow shown in Fig. 10 is implemented in place of the flow described with reference to Fig. 7 in the first embodiment.

[0119] Each operation (step) shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 is realized by the CPU 311 calling up into the RAM 313 a program for implementing each control unit stored in the ROM 312 or the HDD 314 and executing it.

[0120] When the security policy setting control unit 450 provides the setting screen 610 to the web browser of the external terminal via the web UI control unit 440, the process shown in FIG. 10 starts.

[0121] In S1001, the security policy setting control unit 450 judges whether or not a command for setting a security policy has been received. The specific process is the same as S701, and therefore the description will be omitted. If a command for setting a security policy has been received, the process proceeds to S1002, and if not, the process repeats S1001 to wait for reception.

[0122] Next, in S1002, the security policy setting control unit 450 judges whether or not the settings have already been made by collective setting. The security policy setting control unit 450 reads the setting of the usage environment selected by the usage environment list button 511 from the current operation setting 423, and if the setting corresponds to any one of the six usage environments, it judges that the collective setting has been made, and proceeds to S1003. On the other hand, if the usage environment has not been set, it proceeds to S1004.

[0123] In S1003, security policy setting control unit 450 instructs security setting control unit 430 to cancel the batch setting. The batch setting can be canceled by security setting control unit 430 overwriting the setting value data stored in pre-change setting data 422 with the corresponding setting value data in current operation setting data 423. Furthermore, information related to the usage environment selected in image forming apparatus 101, which is stored in current operation setting data 423, is also changed. Specifically, security setting control unit 430 overwrites the information with information indicating that the usage environment of image forming apparatus 101 has not been selected. When the cancellation process by security setting control unit 430 ends, the process proceeds to S1004.

[0124] In S1004, in a state where security-related items have not been set by the collective setting function, the security policy setting control unit 450 sets security-related items according to the received security policy setting. The security policy setting control unit 450 writes the setting items and setting values ​​stored in the policy setting database 424 to the current operation setting data 423 to perform the setting. The specific processing is the same as that in S702, and therefore the description is omitted. In addition, display control is performed so that the function whose use is restricted by this setting cannot be changed to a usable state by the user. Specifically, control is performed so that an operation to change the setting values ​​of the setting items corresponding to the selected security policy individually cannot be performed on the setting screen displayed on the operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101 and the setting screen of the web UI. Note that, when the security policy setting received by the security policy setting control unit 450 is a command indicating the release of the security policy, the following control is performed. Control is performed so that an operation to change the setting values ​​of the setting items corresponding to the relevant policy individually can be performed on the setting screen displayed on the operation unit 320 of the image forming apparatus 101 and the setting screen of the web UI.

[0125] As in the first embodiment, the present embodiment has been described using operations from a web UI, but other embodiments using a setting screen displayed on the operation unit 320 may also be used.

[0126] Through the above processing, the user can set security-related items in the image forming apparatus 101 in accordance with the security policy settings while taking into consideration conflicting operations with the batch setting.

[0127] Through the above-described series of processes, the image forming apparatus 101 can cancel the recommended setting values ​​that have been collectively set according to the selection of the usage environment, and then set the security policy. Here, the security policy setting is the setting that should be given the highest priority when setting security-related items in the image forming apparatus 101. This makes it possible to clarify the setting contents, such as which setting value is set with priority among the functions that set security-related items. In addition, by canceling the setting values ​​that were set by the collectively setting function before the administrator who can set the security policy sets it, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a setting value that is not expected by the administrator of the security policy is set. In addition, it is possible to present a setting screen that takes into account the conflicting operations of the security policy function and the collectively setting function. In this way, the user can use the system in a state in which the relationships between the setting functions for multiple security-related items are organized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 101 Image forming device 400 Control Program 410 Operation control section 420 Data storage unit 430 Security setting control section 440 Security policy setting control unit

Claims

1. An information processing device, a first setting means for setting a first plurality of setting values associated with a security policy set in the information processing device in the information processing device; a second setting means for setting a second plurality of setting values associated with one usage environment selected from a plurality of usage environments in the information processing device; a control means for performing control so that one usage environment is not selected from the plurality of usage environments when the security policy is set in the information processing device; An information processing device having the above.

2. The information processing device described in Claim 1, characterized in that the first plurality of setting values and the second plurality of setting values include setting values corresponding to the same setting item.

3. a display control means for displaying a button to be pressed to display a screen for accepting selection of one of the plurality of usage environments; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the button so that one usage environment cannot be selected from the plurality of usage environments, thereby disabling the button from being pressed.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the control means controls the selection of one usage environment from among the plurality of usage environments by graying out the text of the button and making the button unpressable.

5. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control means controls the display of the button so that one usage environment is not selected from the plurality of usage environments.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when one usage environment is selected from the plurality of usage environments, the first setting means sets the setting value before being set by the second setting means for the setting item corresponding to the second plurality of setting values, and then sets the first plurality of setting values.

7. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is an image forming apparatus having at least one of a scanner and a printer.

8. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the same setting items are setting items related to at least one of a scanner and a printer provided in the information processing apparatus.

9. 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the setting items relating to at least one of a scanner and a printer included in the information processing apparatus are setting items relating to a history recorded when a job is executed.

10. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the same setting items are setting items related to a scanner provided in the information processing device, and include at least one of a setting item related to a storage destination for scanned data and a setting item related to a history recorded when a job is executed.

11. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the same setting items are setting items related to a printer provided in the information processing device, and include at least one of a setting item related to restrictions on protocols used for printing and a setting item related to history recorded when a job is executed.

12. A control method for an information processing device, comprising: a first setting step of setting a first plurality of setting values associated with a security policy set in the information processing device in the information processing device; a second setting step of setting a second plurality of setting values associated with one usage environment selected from a plurality of usage environments in the information processing device; a control step of performing control so that one usage environment is not selected from the plurality of usage environments when the security policy is set in the information processing device; A control method comprising:

13. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 12.

Images