Program for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, and recording medium

Abstract

This program provides a way to restrict the use of illegally copied storage media. [Solution] The storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure includes a comparison procedure and a determination procedure, wherein the comparison procedure compares the connection history contained in a terminal and a storage medium connected to the terminal, and the determination procedure determines that if the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent as a result of the comparison, the use of the storage medium on the terminal is permitted, and if the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are inconsistent, the use of the storage medium on the terminal is not permitted. The program is a program that causes a computer to execute each of the above procedures.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a program for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, an apparatus for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, a method for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, and a recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] Storage media such as USB flash drives are commonly used for data transfer with terminals such as personal computers due to their convenience. On the other hand, since the storage media can be easily connected to the terminal, there is a high risk of data theft by unauthorized devices and malware infection. As a solution to these problems, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a program for implementing a whitelist function and a blacklist function based on the attributes of a storage medium.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, since the technology disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 determines whether a storage medium can be used depending on the attributes of the storage medium, if the storage medium is illegally copied in its entirety (if an illegal clone is made), the use of the copied storage medium cannot be restricted .

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a program for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, an apparatus for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, a method for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, and a recording medium for restricting the use of an illegally copied storage medium.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure is: Including comparison procedures and judgment procedures, The comparison procedure involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The above determination procedure is based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. This program causes a computer to execute the following steps: if the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the computer determines that the terminal should not be allowed to use the storage medium.

[0007] The storage medium misuse prevention device disclosed herein is Including a comparison unit and a determination unit, The comparison unit compares the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The determination unit determines, based on the comparison results, If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. This device determines that if the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, it will not allow the terminal to use the storage medium.

[0008] The method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described herein is: Including a comparison step and a determination step, The comparison step involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The determination step is performed based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. This method involves each of the aforementioned steps being performed by a computer.

[0009] The recording medium of this disclosure is a computer-readable recording medium on which the program of this disclosure is recorded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a storage medium misuse prevention program, a storage medium misuse prevention device, a storage medium misuse prevention method, and a recording medium for restricting the use of illegally copied storage media. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of a storage medium misuse prevention device according to this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the storage medium misuse prevention device described herein. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure in the storage medium misuse prevention program described herein. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a block diagram showing the configuration of another example of a storage medium misuse prevention device according to this disclosure. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a block diagram showing the configuration of another example of a storage medium misuse prevention device according to this disclosure. [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a flowchart illustrating another example of the procedure in the storage medium misuse prevention program described herein. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is a flowchart showing another example of the procedure in the storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a method for determining a storage medium using the storage medium misuse prevention device of this disclosure. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of a connection history. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a diagram showing another example of a connection history. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a diagram showing another example of a connection history.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following figures, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, the descriptions of the respective embodiments can be mutually referred to unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the configurations of the respective embodiments can be combined unless otherwise specified. In addition, each procedure described later in the program of the present disclosure can be read as "processing" instead of "procedure", for example.

[0013] [Embodiment 1] A program for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, an apparatus for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, and a method for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium according to the present disclosure will be described.

[0014] The program for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium according to the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute a comparison procedure and a determination procedure. The program for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium according to the present disclosure can also be said to be a program for causing a computer to function as a comparison procedure and a determination procedure. In addition, the program for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium according to the present disclosure can also be said to be a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the method for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium described later, for example. Furthermore, the program of the present disclosure may be installed in a terminal described later, for example, or may be installed in a storage medium described later. ]

[0015] Next, an example of the apparatus for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium according to the present disclosure will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0016] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the storage medium misuse prevention device 10 (the device 10) of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the device 10 includes a comparison unit 11 and a determination unit 12.

[0017] The device 10 may be, for example, a single device including the aforementioned parts, or it may be a device in which the aforementioned parts can be connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the device 10 can be connected to an external device described later via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited and can use a known network, for example, it may be wired or wireless. Examples of the communication network include the Internet, WWW (World Wide Web), telephone lines, LAN (Local Area Network), SAN (Storage Area Network), DTN (Delay Tolerant Networking), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), L5G (Local 5G), etc. Examples of wireless communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Local 5G, LPWA, etc. The wireless communication may be in the form of direct communication between devices (Ad Hoc communication), infrastructure communication, indirect communication via an access point, etc. The device 10 may be, for example, incorporated into a server as a system. Furthermore, the device 10 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, e.g., desktop or notebook), smartphone, tablet terminal, digital signage, etc., on which the program disclosed herein is installed. The device 10 may also be in the form of cloud computing or edge computing, for example, in which at least one of the aforementioned parts is on a server and the other parts are on a terminal.

[0018] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the device 10. The device 10 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU, GPU, etc.) 101, memory 102, bus 103, storage device 104, input device 105, output device 106, communication device 107, etc. Each part of the device 10 is interconnected via the bus 103 through its respective interface (I / F).

[0019] The central processing unit 101 operates in coordination with other components via controllers (system controller, I / O controller, etc.) and is responsible for the overall control of the device 10. In the device 10, the central processing unit 101 executes, for example, the program disclosed herein or other programs, and also reads and writes various types of information. Specifically, for example, the central processing unit 101 functions as a comparison unit 11 and a determination unit 12. The central processing unit 101 may include a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), or a combination thereof as its arithmetic unit.

[0020] Bus 103 can also be connected to external devices, for example. Examples of such external devices include external storage devices such as external databases, printers, external input devices, external display devices, and external imaging devices. The device 10 can be connected to an external network (the aforementioned communication network) by a communication device 107 connected to bus 103, for example, and can also be connected to other devices via the external network.

[0021] Memory 102 may be, for example, main memory. When the central processing unit 101 performs processing, memory 102 reads various operational programs, such as the program of this disclosure, stored in the storage device 104 (described later), and the central processing unit 101 receives data from memory 102 and executes the program. The main memory may be, for example, RAM (random access memory). Alternatively, memory 102 may be, for example, ROM (read-only memory).

[0022] The storage device 104 is also called an auxiliary storage device, for example, in relation to the main memory (primary memory). As described above, the storage device 104 stores an operating program including the program of this disclosure. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a combination of a recording medium and a drive for reading and writing to the recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and may be internal or external, for example, an HD (hard disk), CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, MO, DVD, flash memory, memory card, etc. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) in which the recording medium and the drive are integrated, or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0023] In this device 10, the memory 102 and storage device 104 can also store various types of information, such as log information, information obtained from an external database (not shown) or external devices, information generated by this device 10, and information used by this device 10 when executing processing. In this case, the memory 102 and storage device 104 may also store, for example, connection history as described later. At least some of the information may be stored on an external server other than the memory 102 and storage device 104, or it may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0024] The device 10 further includes, for example, an input device 105 and an output device 106. The input device 105 may include, for example, a pointing device such as a touch panel, trackpad, or mouse; a keyboard; imaging means such as a camera or scanner; a card reader such as an IC card reader or magnetic card reader; an audio input means such as a microphone; and so on. The output device 106 may include, for example, a display device such as an LED display or liquid crystal display; an audio output device such as a speaker; a printer; and so on. In this disclosure, the input device 105 and the output device 106 are configured separately, but the input device 105 and the output device 106 may be configured as an integrated unit, such as a touch panel display.

[0025] First, an example of the processing of the storage medium misuse prevention program described in this disclosure will be specifically explained based on Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of each step of the storage medium misuse prevention program described in this disclosure.

[0026] First, the comparison unit 11 compares the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal (S11, comparison procedure). The terminal may be, for example, a personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc. The storage medium may be, for example, a portable storage medium. Examples of the storage medium may be a USB flash drive, HDD, SSD, memory card, optical disc drive (external CD / DVD / Blu-ray® drive), network attached storage (NAS), and magnetic tape drive, etc.

[0027] The connection history may include, but is not limited to, information relating to the terminal, information relating to the storage medium, and information on the date and time when the terminal and the storage medium were connected. The connection history is not particularly limited as long as it allows the determination unit 12, described later, to determine whether the storage medium is being used, and may, for example, be any string of characters defined by at least one of the terminal and the storage medium. The information relating to the terminal may include, for example, the serial number, model number, individual name, IP address, MAC address, etc. of the terminal. The information relating to the storage medium may include, for example, the serial number, model number, individual name, etc. of the storage medium. The date and time may be, for example, year, month, day, and time. The connection history may be, for example, a hashed connection history. In the case of a hashed connection history, for example, it is preferable in that security is strengthened because it becomes difficult to infer the connection history.

[0028] The comparison may, for example, be a comparison of all connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium, or a comparison of the most recent connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium. Comparing all connection histories is preferable, for example, because it strengthens security. Comparing the most recent connection histories is preferable, for example, because it reduces false positives caused by the loss of connection histories.

[0029] Next, the determination unit 12 determines that if the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium matches as a result of the comparison, it will allow the terminal to use the storage medium (S12a, determination procedure). Conversely, if the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium does not match as a result of the comparison, the determination unit 12 determines that the terminal will not allow the terminal to use the storage medium (S12b, determination procedure). The term "contained" can be rephrased as, for example, "stored," "memorized," "recorded," or "written." The term "matching" can be rephrased as, for example, "conforming," "matching," "corresponding," or "fitting." The term "use" can include, for example, reading and writing data, transferring and sharing data, backing up, and executing software. The storage medium that is determined not to be allowed may be, for example, a clone (copy) of the storage medium that is determined to be allowed.

[0030] The determination unit 12 may, for example, determine that the terminal is permitted to use the storage medium if neither the terminal nor the storage medium contains the connection history. This is assumed, for example, when the terminal is using the storage medium for the first time.

[0031] Next, the method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure will be explained. The method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure can be implemented by referring to the descriptions in the program and device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure. The method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure is a method implemented by, for example, replacing each "procedure" in the program of this disclosure with a "process". Specifically, the method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure includes a comparison process and a determination process. The method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure can be implemented, for example, using the device 10 in Figure 1. However, the method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure is not limited to the use of the device 10 in Figure 1.

[0032] According to this disclosure, the comparison procedure compares the connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, and the determination procedure determines that if the connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the use of the storage medium in the terminal is permitted, and if the connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium are inconsistent, the use of the storage medium in the terminal is not permitted. Therefore, according to this disclosure, the use of illegally copied storage medium can be restricted. For example, even if a clone with a duplicated serial number or the like for identifying the storage medium is connected, the use of the clone in the terminal can be restricted.

[0033] [Embodiment 2] Further explanation is provided regarding the storage medium misuse prevention program, storage medium misuse prevention device, and storage medium misuse prevention method described herein.

[0034] The storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure is a program that causes a computer to perform at least one of a recording procedure and a notification procedure. The storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure can also be described as a program that causes a computer to function as a recording procedure and a notification procedure. Furthermore, the storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure can also be described as a program that causes a computer to perform, for example, each step of the storage medium misuse prevention method described later.

[0035] Next, another example of the storage medium misuse prevention device described herein will be explained with reference to Figures 4A and 4B.

[0036] Figure 4A is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of the storage medium misuse prevention device 10A (device 10A) of the present disclosure. Figure 4B is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of the storage medium misuse prevention device 10B (device 10B) of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, device 10A and device 10B further include at least one of a recording unit 13 and a notification unit 14 in addition to the configuration of device 10.

[0037] In this device 10A, the central processing unit 101 functions as a comparison unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a recording unit 13. In this device 10B, the central processing unit 101 functions as a comparison unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a notification unit 14. The other hardware configuration is the same as in this device 10, except that the central processing unit in Figure 2 further includes at least one of the recording unit 13 and the notification unit 14.

[0038] Next, another example of the processing of the storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure will be specifically described with reference to Figures 5A and 5B. Figures 5A and 5B are flowcharts showing another example of each step of the storage medium misuse prevention program of this disclosure.

[0039] First, in the devices 10A and 10B, the procedures S11, S12a, and S12b are performed in the same manner as in the aforementioned device 10.

[0040] Next, as shown in Figure 5A, the recording unit 13 records the corresponding connection history in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively, when the determination unit 12 determines that it is permissible (S13). The corresponding connection history is, for example, the connection history that can be determined to be consistent or inconsistent based on the comparison result in the comparison unit 11. The recording can be rephrased as, for example, saving, writing, data insertion, storage, or registration.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5B, the notification unit 14, for example, if the determination unit 12 determines that it is not permissible, will issue a notification indicating that it is not permissible (S14, notification procedure). Examples of such notifications include pop-up notifications, sound notifications, banner notifications, icon notifications, push notifications, email notifications, vibration notifications, and light-up notifications.

[0042] In this disclosure, an example is given of an apparatus that includes only one of the recording unit 13 and the notification unit 14. However, the apparatus of this disclosure is not limited to this, and may include, for example, the comparison unit 11, the determination unit 12, the recording unit 13, and the notification unit 14.

[0043] Next, the method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure will be further explained. The method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure can be understood by referring to the descriptions in the program and device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure. The method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure is a method implemented by, for example, replacing each "procedure" in the program of this disclosure with a "process". Specifically, the method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure further includes at least one of a recording process and a notification process. The method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure can be implemented, for example, using at least one of the device 10A in Figure 4A and the device 10B in Figure 4B. However, the method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media described in this disclosure is not limited to the use of at least one of the device 10A in Figure 4A and the device 10B in Figure 4B.

[0044] According to this disclosure, if the recording procedure determines that the connection is permissible, the corresponding connection history is recorded on both the terminal and the storage medium. This allows, for example, to restrict the use of the clone for which the connection history is not recorded. Furthermore, if the notification procedure determines that the connection is not permissible, a notification of this disapproval is sent. This allows, for example, to inform the user that an unauthorized storage medium has been used.

[0045] [Embodiment 3] Examples of how the storage medium can be identified by the storage medium misuse prevention device described in this disclosure are explained with specific examples shown in Figures 6 to 7C. This disclosure shows examples using device 10 (or devices 10A, 10B), but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, this disclosure shows examples using a personal computer (PC) as the terminal and a USB flash drive (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "USB") as the storage medium, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, this disclosure shows examples where device 10 is the aforementioned terminal, but is not limited thereto.

[0046] Figure 6 shows an example of how the device 10 determines the storage medium. First, as shown in the left diagram of Figures 6(A) and (B), a USB is connected to the device 10 (PC). During the initial connection, neither the PC nor the USB has a connection history (it is not recorded), so for example, the PC determines that it is permissible to use the USB. Subsequently, when the device 10A is used, the corresponding connection history is recorded in both the PC and the USB.

[0047] Next, when the USB is connected for the second time or later, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 6(A), if the USB is authorized (i.e., if it is the same USB that was connected to the PC during the initial connection), the connection history contained in the PC and the USB will be consistent, and the device 10 will determine to allow the use of the USB on the PC. As a result, when using the device 10A, the corresponding connection history is recorded in both the PC and the USB.

[0048] On the other hand, as shown in the right-hand diagram of Figure 6(B), if the USB is not authorized (for example, if it is a clone of the authorized USB that does not include the aforementioned connection history), the connection history contained in the PC and the USB will not match, and therefore the device 10 will determine that it will not allow the use of the USB on the PC. As a result, when using the device 10B, a notification will be issued that the use of the unauthorized USB clone on the PC will not be allowed.

[0049] The connection history may be recorded entirely on the PC and USB as shown in Figure 7A, or only the most recent history as shown in Figure 7B, or a hashed version of the connection history as shown in Figure 7C.

[0050] [Embodiment 4] The program of this disclosure may be recorded on, for example, a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is not particularly limited and includes, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), flash memory (e.g., USB flash memory, SD / SDHC card, etc.), optical disc (e.g., CD-R / CD-RW, DVD-R / DVD-RW, BD-R / BD-RE, etc.), magneto-optical disk (MO), floppy disk (FD), etc. The program of this disclosure (for example, also referred to as a programming product or program product) may also be delivered, for example, from an external computer. The “delivery” may be, for example, delivered via a communication network or delivered via a wired device. The program of this disclosure may be installed and executed on the delivered device, or it may be executed without being installed.

[0051] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. The configuration and conditions of the present disclosure can be modified in various ways that can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] <Note> Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) Including comparison procedures and judgment procedures, The comparison procedure involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The above determination procedure is based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, which causes a computer to perform each of the above procedures. (Note 2) The determination procedure determines that if neither the terminal nor the storage medium contains the connection history, the terminal is permitted to use the storage medium. The program for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) Furthermore, including recording procedures, The recording procedure, when it is determined that permission is permitted, records the corresponding connection history in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media as described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) Furthermore, including notification procedures, The notification procedure, if it is determined that it is not permissible, will notify the person that it is not permissible. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 1 to 3. (Note 5) The comparison is a comparison of all connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 6) The comparison is a comparison of the most recent connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 7) The aforementioned connection history is a hashed connection history. A storage medium misuse prevention program as described in any of the appendices 1 to 6. (Note 8) The connection history includes information relating to the terminal, information relating to the storage medium, and information on the date and time when the terminal and the storage medium were connected. A storage medium misuse prevention program as described in any of the appendices 1 to 7. (Note 9) The storage medium is a portable storage medium. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 1 through 8. (Note 10) The storage medium is a USB flash drive. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 1 through 9. (Note 11) The aforementioned terminal is a personal computer. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 1 through 10. (Note 12) The storage medium that was determined to be unacceptable is a clone of the storage medium that was determined to be acceptable. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 1 through 11. (Note 13) Including a comparison unit and a determination unit, The comparison unit compares the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The determination unit determines, based on the comparison results, If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. Device to prevent unauthorized use of storage media. (Note 14) The determination unit determines that if neither the terminal nor the storage medium contains the connection history, it will allow the terminal to use the storage medium. A device to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, as described in Appendix 13. (Note 15) Furthermore, including the recording unit, The recording unit, when it determines that permission is permitted, records the corresponding connection history in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A device to prevent unauthorized use of storage media as described in Appendix 13 or 14. (Note 16) Furthermore, including the notification section, If the notification unit determines that it is not permissible, it will notify that it is not permissible. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 15. (Note 17) The comparison is a comparison of all connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 16. (Note 18) The comparison is a comparison of the most recent connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 16. (Note 19) The aforementioned connection history is a hashed connection history. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 18. (Note 20) The connection history includes information relating to the terminal, information relating to the storage medium, and information on the date and time when the terminal and the storage medium were connected. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 19. (Note 21) The storage medium is a portable storage medium. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 20. (Note 22) The storage medium is a USB flash drive. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 21. (Note 23) The aforementioned terminal is a personal computer. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 22. (Note 24) The storage medium that was determined to be unacceptable is a clone of the storage medium that was determined to be acceptable. A device for preventing unauthorized use of storage media, as described in any of the appendices 13 to 23. (Note 25) Including a comparison step and a determination step, The comparison step involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The determination step is performed based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. A method for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, wherein each of the above steps is performed by a computer. (Note 26) The determination step determines that if neither the terminal nor the storage medium contains the connection history, the terminal is permitted to use the storage medium. Methods for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in Appendix 25. (Note 27) Furthermore, including the recording process, The recording step, when it is determined to be permissible, records the corresponding connection history in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. Methods for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in Appendix 25 or 26. (Note 28) Furthermore, including the notification process, The notification step, if it is determined that it is not permissible, notifies that it is not permissible. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of Appendix 25 to 27. (Note 29) The comparison is a comparison of all connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of Appendix 25 to 28. (Note 30) The comparison is a comparison of the most recent connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of Appendix 25 to 28. (Note 31) The aforementioned connection history is a hashed connection history. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of the appendices 25 to 30. (Note 32) The connection history includes information relating to the terminal, information relating to the storage medium, and information on the date and time when the terminal and the storage medium were connected. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of the appendices 25 to 31. (Note 33) The storage medium is a portable storage medium. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of the appendices 25 to 32. (Note 34) The storage medium is a USB flash drive. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of the appendices 25 to 33. (Note 35) The aforementioned terminal is a personal computer. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of the appendices 25 to 34. (Note 36) The storage medium that was determined to be unacceptable is a clone of the storage medium that was determined to be acceptable. A method for preventing unauthorized use of storage media as described in any of the appendices 25 to 35. (Note 37) Including comparison procedures and judgment procedures, The comparison procedure involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The above determination procedure is based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. A computer-readable recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to perform each of the aforementioned steps. (Note 38) The determination procedure determines that if neither the terminal nor the storage medium contains the connection history, the terminal is permitted to use the storage medium. Recording medium as described in Appendix 37. (Note 39) Furthermore, including recording procedures, The recording procedure, when it is determined that permission is permitted, records the corresponding connection history in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. Recording medium as described in Appendix 37 or 38. (Note 40) Furthermore, including notification procedures, The notification procedure, if it is determined that it is not permissible, will notify the person that it is not permissible. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 39. (Note 41) The comparison is a comparison of all connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 40. (Note 42) The comparison is a comparison of the most recent connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 40. (Note 43) The aforementioned connection history is a hashed connection history. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 42. (Note 44) The connection history includes information relating to the terminal, information relating to the storage medium, and information on the date and time when the terminal and the storage medium were connected. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 43. (Note 45) The storage medium is a portable storage medium. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 44. (Note 46) The storage medium is a USB flash drive. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 45. (Note 47) The aforementioned terminal is a personal computer. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 46. (Note 48) The storage medium that was determined to be unacceptable is a clone of the storage medium that was determined to be acceptable. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 37 to 47. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] This disclosure makes it possible to provide a storage medium misuse prevention program, a storage medium misuse prevention device, a storage medium misuse prevention method, and a recording medium for restricting the use of illegally copied storage media. The fields to which this disclosure can be applied are not limited, and it is useful in various fields using the program of this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10, 10A, 10B Storage media unauthorized use prevention device 11. Comparison section 12 Judgment section 13 Records Section 14 Notification Department 101 CPU 102 memory 103 Bus 104 Storage device 105 Input device 106 Output device 107 Communication devices

Claims

1. Including comparison procedures and judgment procedures, The comparison procedure involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The above determination procedure is based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. A program to prevent unauthorized use of storage media, which causes a computer to perform each of the above procedures.

2. The determination procedure determines that if neither the terminal nor the storage medium contains the connection history, the terminal is permitted to use the storage medium. A storage medium misuse prevention program according to claim 1.

3. Furthermore, including recording procedures, The recording procedure, when it is determined that permission is permitted, records the corresponding connection history in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A storage medium misuse prevention program according to claim 1.

4. Furthermore, including notification procedures, The notification procedure, if it is determined that it is not permissible, will notify the person that it is not permissible. A program to prevent unauthorized use of a storage medium according to claim 1.

5. The comparison is a comparison of all connection histories contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A storage medium misuse prevention program according to claim 1.

6. The comparison is a comparison of the most recent connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium, respectively. A storage medium misuse prevention program according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned connection history is a hashed connection history. A storage medium misuse prevention program according to claim 1.

8. Including a comparison unit and a determination unit, The comparison unit compares the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The determination unit determines, based on the comparison results, If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. Device to prevent unauthorized use of storage media.

9. Including a comparison step and a determination step, The comparison step involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The determination step is performed based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. A method for preventing unauthorized use of a storage medium, wherein each of the above steps is performed by a computer.

10. Including comparison procedures and judgment procedures, The comparison procedure involves comparing the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium connected to the terminal, The above determination procedure is based on the results of the comparison. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium are consistent, the terminal determines that it is permissible to use the storage medium. If the connection history contained in the terminal and the storage medium do not match, the terminal will determine that it will not allow the use of the storage medium. A computer-readable recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to perform each of the aforementioned steps.

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