Monitoring device, its control method, program, and image processing device

Abstract

To suitably provide monitoring results of multifaceted security monitoring in addition to verifying contents of a certificate registered with a network apparatus, in order to ensure the security of the network apparatus.SOLUTION: A monitoring device of the present invention can communicate with one or more network apparatuses via a network, and verifies content information of a security-related certificate set in a network apparatus to be monitored. The monitoring device verifies update setting information relating to update of the certificate and provides a report based on two verification results.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring device, a control method thereof, a program, and an image processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, against the backdrop of the growing need for security, an increasing number of network devices are capable of utilizing security functions such as TLS / SSL communication and IPSec by registering a certificate. In utilizing the security functions of network devices, it is important to correctly register and use appropriate certificates. Patent Document 1 proposes a technology for monitoring the security of network devices, which verifies the contents of the certificate registered in the network device, such as the common name and expiration date, and issues a warning when a problem occurs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-239930 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above conventional technology has the following problems. For example, a certificate registered in a network device has an expiration date. Therefore, in the above conventional technology, in order to ensure the security of the network device, it is necessary to issue a new certificate and update the certificate registered in the network device before the expiration date of the certificate. Therefore, in monitoring the security of the network device, it is necessary not only to verify whether the certificate itself has no problems, but also to verify whether the certificate renewal is appropriately planned without security risks such as expiration.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to not only verify the contents of a certificate registered in a network device but also to provide monitoring results that monitor security from multiple angles in order to ensure the security of the network device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a monitoring device capable of communicating with one or more network devices via a network, the network devices being monitored. from the network device via the network. The security certificate set in An acquisition means for acquiring content information including at least key information and an expiration date, and update setting information related to the update of the certificate; Content information The validity period of the certificate A first verification means for verifying A monitoring policy for the network device to be monitored input by a user; The certificate The above Update settings information According to the above, a security risk regarding the update setting of the certificate in the network device is and providing means for providing a report based on the verification results by the first verification means and the second verification means. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, in order to ensure the security of a network device, it is possible not only to verify the contents of a certificate registered in the network device, but also to preferably provide monitoring results of security that has been monitored from multiple angles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration and a hardware configuration according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a software configuration according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a database configuration according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart showing execution of a security risk determination and a warning display according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for setting a security monitoring policy according to an embodiment; [Figure 6]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a security risk warning report screen according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a software configuration according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a database configuration according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart showing execution of a security risk determination and a warning display according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <First embodiment> <Overall system configuration> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, an example of the system configuration and hardware configuration of a network device management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Here, an application server will be taken as an example of a network device management device according to this embodiment. In addition, in this embodiment, an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral, multifunction machine) which is an image processing device will be taken as an example of a network device to be managed by the management device. Note that the network device also includes devices other than MFPs, such as printers and FAX machines. The hardware configuration of the client computer 120 is the same as that of the application server 100 described below, and therefore will not be described.

[0011] The network device management system includes an application server 100, a client computer 120, and an MFP 150, which are connected via a network 170. The application server 100 and the client computer 120 have the configuration of a general-purpose computer. The general-purpose computer that realizes the application server 100 may be realized by utilizing hardware resources that are supplied on demand by virtualization technology.

[0012] The application server 100 includes a CPU 101, a RAM 102, a ROM 103, a network I / F 104, a keyboard I / F 105, a display I / F 106, and an external memory I / F 107. The application server 100 further includes a keyboard 108, a display 109, and an external memory 110. Reference numeral 111 denotes a system bus that connects the various devices.

[0013] The CPU 101 executes processing based on application programs and the like stored in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. Furthermore, the CPU 101 comprehensively controls each device connected to the system bus 111. The CPU 101 also opens various registered windows based on commands designated by a mouse cursor (not shown) or the like on the display 109, and executes various data processing. The RAM 102 functions as the main memory, work area, and the like of the CPU 101. The ROM 103 is a read-only memory that functions as a storage area for basic I / O programs and the like. The ROM 103 or the external memory 110 stores programs such as an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS), which is a control program for the CPU 101. Furthermore, the ROM 103 or the external memory 110 stores files and various other data used in processing based on the above application programs and the like.

[0014] The network I / F 104 connects to a network 170 and performs network communication. The keyboard I / F 105 controls input from a keyboard 108 or a pointing device (not shown). The display I / F 106 controls the display of a display 109. The external memory I / F 107 controls access to an external memory 110 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The external memory 110 stores a boot program, various applications, user files, edit files, etc.

[0015] The application server 100 operates in a state where the CPU 101 is executing a basic I / O program and an OS written in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. The basic I / O program is written in the ROM 103, and the OS is written in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. When the computer is turned on, an initial program load function in the basic I / O program writes the OS from the ROM 103 or the external memory 110 into the RAM 102, and the OS starts to operate. Note that the hardware resources such as the CPU 101, the ROM 103, and the external memory 110 constituting the application server 100 may be supplied on demand by a virtualization technology. By supplying these hardware resources on demand by a virtualization technology, the application server 100 is configured as a virtual server in a cloud computing environment.

[0016] The MFP 150 includes a network I / F 151, a CPU 152, a RAM 153, a ROM 154, an operation unit I / F 155, a printer I / F 157, a scanner I / F 159, and an external memory I / F 161. The MFP 150 further includes an operation unit 156, a printer 158, a scanner 160, and an external memory 162. Reference numeral 163 denotes a system bus, which connects the various devices.

[0017] The network I / F 151 is connected to the network 170 and performs network communication. The CPU 152 outputs an image signal as output information to the printer 158 via the printer I / F 157 connected to the system bus 163 based on a control program or the like. The control program is stored in the ROM 154, the external memory 162, or the like. The CPU 152 is capable of performing communication processing with a computer via the network I / F 151, and is configured to be able to notify the application server 100 of information in the MFP 150 or the like. The CPU 152 also executes processing based on application programs or the like stored in the ROM 154 or the external memory 162. The RAM 153 functions as the main memory, work area, or the like of the CPU 152, and is configured to be able to expand the memory capacity by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). The RAM 153 is used as an output information development area, an environment data storage area, an NVRAM, or the like. The ROM 154 or an external memory 162 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) stores the control program of the CPU 152, application programs, font data used when generating the above-mentioned output information, information used on the MFP 150, and the like.

[0018] The operation unit I / F 155 controls the interface with the operation unit 156, and outputs image data to be displayed to the operation unit 156. It also receives information input by a user via the operation unit 156. The operation unit 156 corresponds to an operation panel on which switches for operation and LED indicators are arranged. The printer I / F 157 outputs an image signal as output information to a printer 158 (printer engine). The scanner I / F 159 receives an image signal as input information from a scanner 160 (scanner engine). The external memory I / F (memory controller) 161 controls access to an external memory 162 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or an IC card. The number of external memories described above is not limited to one, and the device may be configured to have at least one or more external memories so that multiple external memories can be connected. Furthermore, the device may have a NVRAM (not shown) to store printer mode setting information from the operation unit 156.

[0019] <Software configuration> Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a software configuration of a network device management system including the application server 100 which is a management device according to this embodiment will be described.

[0020] First, the software configuration of the application server 100 will be described. The application server 100 includes a network module 200, a Web server service module 201, a network device management application 202, a database server service module 210, and a certificate issuing application 211. The network device management application 202, the certificate issuing application 211, and each module exist as files stored in the external memory 110. These are program modules that are loaded into the RAM 102 and executed by the OS or a module that uses the module at the time of execution. In addition, the network device management application 202 and the certificate issuing application 211 can be added to a CD-ROM (not shown) of the external memory 110 or to an HDD or SSD of the external memory 110 via the network 170. Note that the external memory 110 may be supplied on demand by virtualization technology in a cloud computing environment.

[0021] The network module 200 performs network communication with the client computer 120 and the MFP 150 using an arbitrary communication protocol. The Web server service module 201 provides a service of returning an HTTP response when an HTTP request is received from the Web browser 221 of the client computer 120. An example of the HTTP response may be returning Web page data stored in the external memory 110. Alternatively, the Web server service module 201 may request the UI module 203 of the network device management application 202 to generate an HTTP response.

[0022] The network device management application 202 is an application that manages the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 via the network 170. The network device management application 202 is implemented as a program that executes processing in response to a request for a Web page provided by the Web server service module 201, for example. As described above, the network device management application 202, together with the Web server service module 201, realizes a Web application that manages the MFP 150.

[0023] The network device management application 202 includes a UI module 203, a device management module 204, a certificate management module 205, a setting management module 206, a security monitoring module 207, and a reporting module 208. The UI module 203 generates an HTTP response in response to a request from the Web server service module 201. It also receives user input information sent from the Web browser 221 of the client computer 120, and calls each module as necessary. Here, examples of modules called from the UI module 203 include the device management module 204, the certificate management module 205, the setting management module 206, the security monitoring module 207, and the reporting module 208. Of course, the UI module 203 may call modules other than these.

[0024] The device management module 204 acquires device information from the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 via the network 170 via the network module 200. Any communication protocol is used to acquire the device information from the MFP 150. An example of the communication protocol used by the device management module 204 is SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). The device management module 204 stores the device information acquired from the MFP 150 in a network device management table 300 of the service module 210 described below, and also retrieves the stored device information.

[0025] The certificate management module 205 manages information on certificates registered in the MFP 150. The certificate management module 205 acquires information on certificates registered in the MFP 150 from the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 via the network module 200. Any communication protocol is used to acquire the certificate information from the MFP 150. An example of the communication protocol used by the certificate management module 205 is Web service. Examples of the certificate information acquired from the MFP 150 include the name of the key, the signature algorithm, the key algorithm, the key length and type, the expiration date, the country / region name, the prefecture, the city, the organization, the organizational unit, the common name, and the use destination of the key. The certificate management module 205 stores the certificate information in a certificate management table 301 of the service module 210 described later, and also retrieves the stored certificate information.

[0026] The setting management module 206 acquires setting information from the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 via the network module 200. An arbitrary communication protocol is used to acquire the setting information from the MFP 150. An example of a communication protocol used by the setting management module 206 is a Web service. An example of the setting information acquired from the MFP 150 is certificate update setting information. The setting management module 206 stores the setting in a setting management table 302 of the service module 210 described later, and also retrieves the stored setting. In this embodiment, the setting management module 206 acquires setting information including certificate update setting information from the MFP 150, but may acquire setting information from a source other than the MFP 150. For example, if the network device management application 202 itself has setting information for the MFP 150, the setting management module 206 may acquire the setting information from the network device management application 202 instead of the MFP 150.

[0027] The security monitoring module 207 manages security monitoring setting information and judges the security risk of the MFP 150 according to the security monitoring setting information. The security monitoring module 207 stores settings in a table of the service module 210 described later and retrieves the stored settings. Tables in which settings are stored and retrieved include a setting management table 303 for security-related monitoring policies, a setting management table 304 for certificate-related monitoring policies, and a setting management table 305 for certificate update-related monitoring policies. For example, the security monitoring module 207 called from the UI module 203 stores security monitoring setting information input by the user in a table of the service module 210. The security monitoring module 207 also periodically acquires security-related monitoring policy setting information from the table of the service module 210 at any interval. In accordance with this, the security monitoring module 207 acquires certificate information and setting information registered in the MFP 150 via the certificate management module 205 and setting management module 206. The security monitoring module 207 then judges the security risk of the MFP 150 according to the acquired security monitoring setting information, certificate information, and setting information. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which security monitoring module 207 determines security risks by focusing on security risks related to certificates. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention, and setting information unrelated to certificates may also be used in combination to determine the security risk of MFP 150. For example, security monitoring module 207 may determine the overall security risk of MFP 150 by using the security risk determined by security monitoring module 207 with respect to the certificate and the security risk determined with respect to other setting information.

[0028] The reporting module 208 generates a report that visualizes the security risk determined by the security monitoring module 207 in a table, graph, or the like, and displays the report on the UI via the UI module 203. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the reporting module 208 creates a report that visualizes security risks, focusing on security risks related to certificates. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention, and security risks related to setting information unrelated to certificates may also be displayed. For example, the reporting module 208 may create a report that visualizes the overall security risk of the MFP 150, and visualize the security risk related to the certificate individually as part of the report. In addition, the reporting module 208 may output data indicating the contents of a display screen of a warning report, which will be described later, to an external device, instead of generating a display screen of the report as described in this embodiment.

[0029] The service module 210 manages data, and stores and retrieves data in response to requests from other modules. The service module 210 may be located on a device other than the application server 100, as long as it can be accessed from the network device management application 202. The service module 210 may be a database service in a cloud computing environment. The detailed data structure of the database will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0030] Certificate issuing application 211 is an application that issues a certificate in response to a request from MFP 150 connected via network 170. Certificate issuing application 211 is implemented as a program that executes processing in response to a request to a Web page provided by Web server service module 201, for example. As described above, certificate issuing application 211, together with Web server service module 201, realizes a Web application that issues a certificate to MFP 150. Certificate issuing application 211 may be on a device other than network device management application 202 as long as it is accessible from MFP 150. Certificate issuing application 211 may be a certificate issuing service on a cloud computing environment. That is, certificate issuing application 211 may be provided in a device external to application server 100, for example, in a certificate issuing server.

[0031] The certificate issuing application 211 includes a UI module 212 and a certificate issuing module 213. The UI module 212 generates an HTTP response in response to a request from the Web server service module 201. The UI module 212 also receives user input information sent from the Web browser 221 of the client computer 120, and calls each module as necessary. Here, the certificate issuing module 213 is given as an example of a module called from the UI module 212. Of course, the UI module 212 may call modules other than these. The certificate issuing module 213 receives a certificate issuance request from the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 via the network 170 via the network module 200, issues a certificate, and returns it to the MFP 150. Furthermore, the certificate issuing module 213 returns a certificate issuance status in response to a request from the UI module 212.

[0032] Next, the software configuration of the client computer 120 will be described. The client computer 120 includes a network module 220 and a web browser 221. Each module constituting the client computer 120 is a program module existing as a file stored in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. Then, at the time of execution, the module is loaded into the RAM 102 and executed by the OS or a module that uses the module. The network module 220 performs network communication with the application server 100 and the MFP 150 using an arbitrary communication protocol. 221 is a web browser that transmits an HTTP request message via the network module 220 and receives and displays an HTTP response message. Access from the client computer 120 to the application server 100 is performed via the web browser 221.

[0033] Next, the software configuration of the MFP 150 will be described. The MFP 150 includes a network module 230, a certificate management module 231, a setting management module 232, and a UI module 233. Various modules exist as files stored in the ROM 154 or the external memory 162, and are loaded into the RAM 153 and executed at the time of execution. The network module 230 performs network communication with the application server 100 and the client computer 120 using an arbitrary communication protocol. The certificate management module 231 manages the certificates registered in the MFP 150. In addition, the certificate management module 231 returns certificate information of the certificate registered in the MFP 150 via the network module 230 in response to a request from the application server 100. The certificate information returned here includes, for example, a key name, a signature algorithm, a key length, a validity start date, a validity end date, a country / region name, a prefecture, a city, a town, a village, an organization, an organizational unit, and a common name. Furthermore, the certificate management module 231 transmits a certificate issuance request to the certificate issuing application 211 of the application server 100 according to a certificate update setting managed by a setting management module 232 described later. Then, the certificate management module 231 receives the certificate issued by the certificate issuing application 211 of the application server 100, and registers the certificate in the MFP 150. Furthermore, when registering a certificate in the MFP 150, the certificate management module 231 may delete an old key and certificate with the same destination of use. The setting management module 232 manages the overall setting values ​​of the MFP 150. Furthermore, the setting management module 232 returns the setting values ​​of the MFP 150 via the network module 230 in response to a request from the application server 100. The UI module 233 draws a UI displayed on the operation unit 156 of the MFP 150, and receives user input values ​​input by the user's UI operation on the operation unit 156.

[0034] <Database> Next, an example of a table configuration in the database service module 210 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that the table configuration in Fig. 3 is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention, and in the present invention, a table configuration different from the table configuration described below may be used.

[0035] Reference numeral 300 denotes a network device management table, which is a table for managing device information related to network devices managed by the network device management application 202. Information managed in the network device management table 300 includes, for example, a device ID (network device identifier), device name, vendor name, model name, IP address, serial number, and last update date and time. The device ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies a network device such as the MFP 150. The last update date and time indicates the last update date and time when a record was updated by information obtained from a network device such as the MFP 150.

[0036] Reference numeral 301 denotes a certificate management table, which is a table for managing information on certificates registered in network devices. Examples of information managed in the certificate management table 301 include a certificate ID, a device ID, a key name, a signature algorithm, a key length, a validity start date, a validity end date, a country / region name, a prefecture, a city, a town, a village, an organization, an organizational unit, and a common name. The certificate ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies a certificate. The key name and key length indicate the name and data length of an encryption key, respectively. The signature algorithm indicates the algorithm used when verifying a certificate. The validity start date and validity end date are the dates and times indicating the start and end of the validity period of the certificate, respectively.

[0037] Reference numeral 302 denotes a setting management table, which is a table for managing setting information acquired from a network device such as the MFP 150. Examples of information managed by the setting management table 302 include a setting ID, a device ID, certificate update setting information, certificate update date and time information, and a key usage destination. The setting ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies a setting. Examples of certificate update setting information include a SCEP server URL, a port number, a key name, a signature algorithm, a key length, a country / region name, a prefecture, a city, a town, a village, an organization, an organizational unit, a common name, and a challenge password. Note that SCEP is an abbreviation for Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol, and is a protocol for registering certificates.

[0038] Reference numeral 303 denotes a setting management table for security monitoring policies, which is a table for managing policy settings for security monitoring of network devices. Information managed in setting management table 303 includes, for example, a policy ID for security monitoring, a device ID, monitoring interval, the date and time of the next monitoring execution, usage information for the target key, a certificate policy ID, and a policy ID for certificate update setting monitoring. The policy ID for security monitoring is an identifier that uniquely identifies the setting of a security monitoring policy. Furthermore, the policy ID for certificate monitoring is an identifier that uniquely identifies a policy for certificate update setting monitoring. The policy ID for certificate update setting monitoring is an identifier that uniquely identifies a policy for certificate update setting monitoring.

[0039] Reference numeral 304 denotes a setting management table for a certificate monitoring policy, which is a table for managing policy settings for security monitoring of certificates registered in a network device. Information managed in the setting management table 304 is, for example, a certificate monitoring policy ID and a warning threshold for the certificate expiration date. The certificate monitoring policy ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies a certificate monitoring policy. Also, here, as an example of a warning threshold for the certificate expiration date, threshold information (threshold number of days) is stored that indicates "no problem" when a predetermined number of days or more remain until the certificate expires. Furthermore, threshold information is stored that indicates whether to judge the certificate as "low risk" or "medium risk" when the predetermined number of days or more is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of days, and as "high risk" when the predetermined number of days or less remains.

[0040] Reference numeral 305 denotes a setting management table of a monitoring policy for certificate renewal settings, which is a table for managing policy settings for security monitoring of the certificate renewal settings of a network device. Information managed by the setting management table 305 includes, for example, a policy ID for monitoring the certificate renewal settings, a verification flag, and a check flag for the setting contents. The policy ID for monitoring the certificate renewal settings is an identifier that uniquely identifies the monitoring policy for the certificate renewal settings. The verification flag is flag information indicating whether or not to verify whether the renewal setting is set so that the certificate registered in the network device is renewed before the expiration date of the certificate. The certificate renewal setting content check flag is flag information indicating whether or not to check whether or not the contents of the certificate registered in the network device are the same as the contents set in the certificate renewal settings. The contents of the certificate checked here include, for example, a key name, a signature algorithm, a key length, a country / region name, a prefecture, a city, a town, a village, an organization, an organizational unit, and a common name.

[0041] <Monitoring flow> 4, a process flow of the application server 100 when the application server 100 monitors the security risk of the MFP 150 and issues a warning based on the monitoring result will be described. The process described below is realized, for example, by the CPU 101 of the application server 100 reading a control program stored in a memory such as the ROM 103 into the RAM 102 and executing it.

[0042] In S400, the security monitoring module 207 of the application server 100 acquires the security-related monitoring policy setting from the table of the service module 210. The tables from which the security-related monitoring policy setting is acquired include the setting management table 303, the setting management table 304, and the setting management table 305 related to security, certificate, and update settings. The acquired security-related monitoring policy setting is a user input value input in advance by the user via a setting input screen, which is stored in a table by the UI module 203 via the security monitoring module 207. The tables from which the security-related monitoring policy setting is stored include the setting management table 303, the setting management table 304, and the setting management table 305 related to security, certificate, and update settings. The security-related monitoring policy setting input screen will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0043] In S401, the security monitoring module 207 acquires certificate information of the MFP 150 and the like via the certificate management module 205 of the application server 100. The acquired certificate information includes, as content information of the certificate, for example, a key name, a signature algorithm, a key length, a validity start date, a validity end date, a country / region name, a prefecture, a city, a town, an organization, an organizational unit, and a common name. Furthermore, in S402, the security monitoring module 207 acquires setting information of the MFP 150 via the setting management module 206 of the application server 100. The acquired setting information includes, for example, certificate update setting information, certificate update date and time information, and a key usage destination. Here, the certificate update setting information includes, for example, a SCEP server URL, a port number, a key name, a signature algorithm, a key length, a country / region name, a prefecture, a city, a town, an organization, an organizational unit, a common name, and a challenge password.

[0044] In S403, the security monitoring module 207 functions as a first verification means, and determines whether or not the certificate has expired based on the certificate information acquired from the MFP 150 in S401. If it is determined that the certificate has expired, the process proceeds to S410, and if not, the process proceeds to S404. In S404, the security monitoring module 207 determines whether or not a valid certificate update setting is present in the setting information based on the setting information acquired from the MFP 150 in S402. If a valid certificate update setting is present, the process proceeds to S405, and if not, the process proceeds to S406.

[0045] In S405, the security monitoring module 207 acquires the risk of the certificate update setting based on the certificate update setting included in the setting information acquired from the MFP 150 in S402 and the setting of the security-related monitoring policy acquired in S400. The security monitoring module 207 here is an example of a second verification means, and verifies whether the certificate update plan is performed within a predetermined period based on the update setting information. As a method for acquiring the risk of the certificate update setting, for example, the risk is determined based on whether the certificate update setting is set so that the certificate is updated before the certificate expires. The risk determined here is, for example, "the certificate is set so that it is updated before it expires" or "the certificate is not set so that it is updated before it expires". The security monitoring module 207 acquires the risk by converting the security risk into points for each risk. This makes it possible to determine the degree of risk (risk level) for each predetermined range value of points and issue a warning.

[0046] In S406, the security monitoring module 207 functions as a first verification means, and acquires the risk of the certificate expiration date based on the certificate information acquired from the MFP 150 in S401 and the security monitoring policy settings acquired in S400. As a method of acquiring the risk of the certificate expiration date, for example, the number of days remaining until the certificate expires is compared with the warning threshold of the certificate expiration date included in the certificate monitoring policy settings included in the security monitoring policy settings. Furthermore, depending on the comparison result, the risk is determined as "no problem," "low risk," "medium risk," or "high risk." Then, the security risk is assigned points for each risk to acquire the risk.

[0047] In S407, the security monitoring module 207 judges whether the security risk is "high risk" overall based on the points of the certificate renewal setting risk acquired in S405 and the certificate expiration date risk acquired in S406. If the judgment result is "high risk", the process proceeds to S410, and if not, the process proceeds to S408. In S408, the security monitoring module 207 judges whether the security risk of the certificate is "medium risk" overall based on the points of the certificate renewal setting risk acquired in S405 and the certificate expiration date risk acquired in S406. If the judgment result is "medium risk", the process proceeds to S411, and if not, the process proceeds to S409. In S409, the security monitoring module 207 judges whether the security risk of the certificate is "low risk" overall based on the points of the certificate renewal setting risk acquired in S405 and the certificate expiration date risk acquired in S406. If the judgment result is "low risk", the process proceeds to S412, and if not, the process proceeds to S413. In each of S410, S411, S412, and S413, the reporting module 208 functions as a providing means, creates a report that visualizes the security risk of the certificate determined by the security monitoring module 207, and displays it on the UI.

[0048] <Settings input screen> Next, an example of a setting input screen for setting a security monitoring policy will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, reference numeral 500 denotes a setting input section for a monitoring policy regarding certificate security, and items that can be set for security monitoring of a certificate for any MFP 150 managed by the network device management application 202 are displayed.

[0049] Reference numeral 501 denotes an input section for inputting the use of a key to be monitored, and a check box can be used to select which use of the key is to be monitored for security. For example, "no use", "TLS", "IEEE802.1x", and "IPSec" can be selected. Reference numeral 502 denotes an input section for setting a monitoring policy for a certificate, and it is possible to select whether or not to check the expiration date of a certificate registered in a network device such as the MFP 150. When checking the expiration date of a certificate, a text box can be used to input the threshold number of days remaining until the expiration date at which the security risk is judged to be OK / low risk / medium risk / high risk. Each threshold number of days needs to be input in a numerical relationship of "OK" > "low risk" > "medium risk" > "high risk". When a user input that does not maintain such a relationship is received, it is desirable to display a pop-up or the like that prompts the user to re-enter a valid numerical value.

[0050] Reference numeral 503 denotes a setting input section for a monitoring policy related to certificate renewal settings, and at least one monitoring item is displayed in a selectable manner. For example, it is possible to select whether or not to check whether certificate renewal is set so that the certificate registered in the MFP 150 or the like does not expire. It is also possible to select whether or not to check whether the content information (subject information) of the certificate set in the certificate renewal settings matches the content information of the certificate registered in the current network device to be monitored. Note that the monitoring items described here are merely examples, and other monitoring items may be included.

[0051] Reference numeral 504 denotes a register button, which, when selected, causes the UI module 203 to obtain the security monitoring policy settings set on the UI. The security monitoring module 207 then updates the security-related setting management table 303, the certificate-related setting management table 304, and the certificate update setting management table 305 with the information obtained from the UI. Reference numeral 505 denotes a cancel button, which, when clicked, discards the security monitoring policy settings set on the UI and cancels the user input.

[0052] <Warning report> Next, an example of a display screen of a security risk warning report that the reporting module 208 displays on the UI in S410, S411, S412, and S413 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that, although an example in which the reporting module 208 outputs a warning report on a display screen will be described here, this is not intended to limit the present invention. For example, report data showing the contents of the display screen of the report described below may be output by email, facsimile, or the like.

[0053] Reference numeral 600 denotes a security risk warning display section which displays the overall security risk of the network when the "Overall" tab is selected, and which displays a certificate security risk warning display section 601 specialized for certificates when the "Certificate" tab is selected. Note that, although a description of the method of displaying the overall security risk of a network device will be omitted in this embodiment, for example, the overall security risk of all network devices managed by the network device management application 202 may be displayed in a list.

[0054] Reference numeral 601 denotes a certificate security risk warning display section. The warning display section 601 graphically displays the proportion of the number of devices (statistical data) for each risk level of the certificate security risk determined by the security monitoring module 207 for all network devices managed by the network device management application 202. Although an example of display using a pie chart is shown here, this is not intended to limit the present invention, and other display formats capable of displaying statistical data, such as a bar graph, may also be used. Furthermore, in these graphs, it is desirable to display each risk level in a different display method, such as using a different color or shading. Furthermore, the higher the risk, the more highlighted it may be.

[0055] Reference numeral 602 denotes a device list display section, which displays a list of all network devices managed by the network device management application 202. The certificates and certificate update settings registered for each network device, including the MFP 150, are displayed, and the security risk determined by the security monitoring module 207 for each of them is displayed. Note that by selecting each device, various setting screens for that device, such as the setting input screen 500, may be displayed. This allows the user to change the settings of devices with risk problems from the report display screen, or manually set certificate updates. Reference numeral 603 denotes an OK button, which, when clicked, ends the display of the security risk warning report screen.

[0056] As described above, the monitoring device according to the present embodiment can communicate with one or more network devices via a network, and verifies the content information of the certificate related to security set in the network device to be monitored. The monitoring device also verifies update setting information related to certificate renewal, and provides a report based on two verification results. This allows the monitoring device according to the present embodiment to verify not only the content of the certificate itself registered in the network device to be monitored, but also whether the certificate renewal is appropriately planned. As a result, it is possible to provide a verification result necessary and appropriate for ensuring the security of the MFP 150. In this way, according to the present invention, in order to ensure the security of the network device, it is possible to suitably provide a monitoring result in which the content of the certificate registered in the network device is not only verified, but also security is monitored from multiple angles.

[0057] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a security risk is determined based on the content information of a certificate registered in a network device and the certificate update setting information, and a security risk is determined taking into consideration past certificate update records. In addition, an example will be described in which, when a different warning is displayed according to the security risk, the registered certificate update setting is changed to reduce the risk according to the security risk. The system configuration and hardware configuration of the network device management system including the network device of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0058] <Software configuration> The software configuration of a network device management system including a management device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that 200 to 213 in the software configuration of application server 100, 230 to 233 in the software configuration of client computer 120, and 230 to 233 in the software configuration of MFP 150 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0059] In the software configuration of the application server 100, reference numeral 700 denotes a certificate update history management module. The update history management module 700 acquires certificate update history information from a network device such as the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 via the network 170 via the network module 200. The update history management module 700 stores the certificate update history information acquired from the MFP 150, for example, in a certificate update history management table 800 of the service module 210, which will be described later.

[0060] Meanwhile, in the software configuration of the MFP 150, reference numeral 710 denotes a certificate update history management module, which manages the certificate update history of the MFP 150. In response to a request from the application server 100, the certificate update history management module 710 returns the certificate update history of the MFP 150 via the network module 230.

[0061] Next, an example of a table configuration in the service module 210 in the application server 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that the table configuration in Fig. 8 is merely an example, and a table configuration different from this example may be used. Since 300 to 305 are similar to Fig. 3 in the first embodiment, their description will be omitted. Reference numeral 800 denotes a certificate update history management table, which is a table for managing the certificate update history of the MFP 150. Information managed in the certificate update history management table 800 includes, for example, a history identifier, a device ID, the date and time of certificate update execution, and the result of certificate update execution. The history identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the certificate update history.

[0062] <Processing flow> Next, a process flow of the application server 100 according to this embodiment when the application server 100 monitors the security risk of the MFP 150 and issues a warning based on the monitoring result will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The process described below is realized, for example, by the CPU 101 of the application server 100 reading a control program stored in a memory such as the ROM 103 into the RAM 102 and executing it. Note that S400 to S404 and S406 to S413 are similar to the processes in Fig. 4 of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] In S404, the security monitoring module 207 judges whether or not a valid certificate update setting is present in the setting information based on the setting information acquired from the network device (here, the MFP 150) in S402. If a valid certificate update setting is present, the process proceeds to S900, and if not, the process proceeds to S406. In S900, the security monitoring module 207 acquires certificate update history information from the MFP 150 via the certificate update history management module 700. Then, in S405, the security monitoring module 207 acquires the risk of the certificate update setting based on the certificate update setting included in the setting information acquired in S402, the security monitoring policy setting acquired in S400, and the certificate update history information acquired in S900. As a method of acquiring the risk of the certificate update setting, for example, if an error occurred during the previous certificate update, it is determined that there is a risk, and the risk is converted into points to acquire the risk. For example, if the previous certificate update failed, the risk may be determined to be higher the shorter the time interval from the scheduled certificate update execution date and time to the expiration date, so that there is enough time to retry even if the update fails this time as well.

[0064] In S410, S411, and S412, the reporting module 208 creates a report that visualizes the security risk of the certificate determined by the security monitoring module 207, and proceeds to S901. In S901, the security monitoring module 207 determines whether the security risk can be reduced by changing the certificate update settings. As a method of determining whether the security risk can be reduced, for example, it may be determined whether the update date and time of the certificate update settings can be changed so that it is executed earlier by any number of days. If it is determined that the security risk can be reduced, the process proceeds to S902, and if not, the process ends as it is. In S902, the security monitoring module 207 overwrites and updates the certificate update settings of the MFP 150 via the setting management module 206. As a method of overwriting and updating the certificate update settings, for example, the update date and time of the certificate update settings can be changed so that it is executed earlier by any number of days. In S903, the reporting module 208 displays on the UI that the certificate update settings have been overwritten and updated.

[0065] As described above, the monitoring device according to this embodiment determines the security risk based on the certificate's past update history in addition to the certificate content information and update setting information. This makes it possible to determine the security risk by taking into account the past certificate update history in addition to the certificate content information and certificate update setting information registered in the network device. It is also possible to change the update setting of a registered certificate in order to reduce the security risk when the security risk is high.

[0066] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the above embodiment, an example in which the application server 100, which is a monitoring device, is provided outside the MFP 150 has been described, but a configuration in which a specific MFP on a network includes a monitoring device may also be used. Alternatively, a monitoring function may be provided in each network device, and the monitoring results may be transmitted to a server, and a report summarizing the monitoring results of multiple network devices may be output from the server. In other words, the monitoring device in the present invention may be provided in any device on a network, and the monitoring function and the report (warning) function may be realized by multiple devices working together.

[0067] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0068] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 100: Application server, 150: MFP, 205: Certificate management module (application server), 206: Setting management module (application server), 207: Security monitoring module, 208: Reporting module, 700: Certificate update history management module (application server), 231: Certificate management module (MFP), 232: Setting management module (MFP), 710: Update history management module (MFP)

Claims

1. A monitoring device capable of communicating with one or more network devices via a network, an acquisition means for acquiring, from a network device to be monitored via the network, content information including at least key information and an expiration date of a certificate relating to security set in the network device, and update setting information relating to updating of the certificate; a first verification means for verifying the validity period of the certificate among the content information of the acquired certificate; a second verification means for verifying a security risk related to an update setting of the certificate in the network device according to a monitoring policy for the network device to be monitored input by a user and the update setting information of the certificate; providing means for providing a report based on the verification results by the first verification means and the second verification means; A monitoring device comprising:

2. 2. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the second verification means verifies whether a plan for updating the certificate is to be carried out within a predetermined period based on the renewal setting information.

3. the monitoring device monitors a plurality of network devices; 3. The monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a management unit that manages updated setting information for each network device.

4. The system further comprises a setting means for setting a security-related monitoring policy for the network device to be monitored in accordance with a user input, 4. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the providing unit provides the verified security risk as the report.

5. the monitoring device monitors a plurality of network devices; 5. The monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the report includes statistical data corresponding to the level of security risk in the plurality of network devices.

6. The monitoring device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the monitoring policy includes at least one of the following monitoring items: the use of the key to be monitored, the threshold number of days for the expiration date of the certificate registered in the target network device, and the certificate update settings.

7. 7. The monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein the report includes different indications depending on the determined security risk.

8. The obtaining means further obtains an update history of the certificate from the network device, 8. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the first verification means verifies the content information of the certificate based on an update history of the certificate.

9. A monitoring device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a change means for changing certificate update settings set in the network device in accordance with user input entered via the report display screen.

10. A control method for a monitoring device capable of communicating with one or more network devices via a network, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring, from a network device to be monitored, content information including at least key information and an expiration date of a certificate relating to security set in the network device, and update setting information relating to updating of the certificate, via the network; a first verification step of verifying the validity period of the certificate among the content information of the acquired certificate; a second verification step of verifying a security risk related to an update setting of the certificate in the network device according to a monitoring policy for the network device to be monitored input by a user and the update setting information of the certificate; a providing step of providing a report based on the verification results in the first verification step and the second verification step; A control method comprising the steps of:

11. Computer, an acquisition means for acquiring, from a network device to be monitored via a network, content information including at least key information and an expiration date of a certificate relating to security set in the network device, and update setting information relating to updating of the certificate; a first verification means for verifying the validity period of the certificate among the content information of the acquired certificate; a second verification means for verifying a security risk related to an update setting of the certificate in the network device according to a monitoring policy for the network device to be monitored input by a user and the update setting information of the certificate; a program for causing the program to function as a providing means for providing a report based on the verification results by the first verification means and the second verification means;

12. An image processing device, A monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; a requesting means for requesting and obtaining a certificate from a certificate issuing server; Image processing means; An image processing device comprising:

Images