Centralized Security Update Coordination for Multi-Device Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security information update systems for information processing apparatuses, such as MFPs, require manual management of passwords across multiple devices, leading to complexity and potential security vulnerabilities due to the need for users to remember and manage both old and new passwords based on valid and expired user information.
Innovation Solution
A security information update system that includes a management server and multiple information processing apparatuses, where the management server stores security policies defining device identification information, reference dates, and times for updating security information. The system sends update instructions to apparatuses when the current date and time match the reference criteria, allowing for automated acquisition and updating of new security information, ensuring seamless transitions without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If security information is updated in all information processing apparatuses, then security is improved, but the complexity of managing updates across multiple devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a management server as an intermediary that centralizes the security information update management. The management server stores security information, determines which apparatuses need updates based on validity periods, and coordinates the update process across all information processing apparatuses. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining high security through comprehensive updates while reducing management complexity through centralized control.
2Reliability
If users are notified of updated security information, then security is improved, but user burden increases due to needing to remember both old and new passwords
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic update notification and transmission functionality that allows the system to serve itself rather than requiring user intervention. When security information is updated, the system automatically notifies relevant users and transmits the new security information to their devices. This self-service approach maintains security through timely updates while reducing user burden by eliminating the need for users to manually manage password transitions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If security information is updated across all apparatuses simultaneously, then security consistency is improved, but the time required for the update process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a two-phase update strategy: first, the management server determines and notifies which apparatuses require updates before the actual update occurs; second, updates are executed across all apparatuses. This preliminary action approach improves security consistency by ensuring all apparatuses are updated to the same version, while reducing total update time by allowing apparatuses to be prepared in advance rather than updating sequentially.
Data Source
AI summary
The management server includes a policy storage that stores a security policy, and a first hardware processor that, in response to reception of a preparation completion notification from each of all of two or more information processing apparatuses, outputs an update instruction to each of the two or more information processing apparatuses. Each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses includes a security information storage that stores security information, and a second hardware processor that executes a process using any of the stored security information, acquires new security information corresponding to security information to which the reference date and time, which the current date and time have passed, correspond, transmits a preparation completion notification to the management server, and in response to reception of the update instruction from the management server, updates the security information with the new security information.