Image Forming Apparatus Zero Trust Mode Job Storage Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face challenges in balancing user convenience and defense against external threats, particularly when operating in a zero trust mode, where unsolicited jobs from unauthorized applications can lead to errors or rejection, impacting both security and user experience.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus implements a setting unit to permit only authorized applications, a job storing unit to hold jobs from unauthorized sources, and an authentication unit to permit printing by authenticated users, thereby ensuring secure and convenient operation by restricting network ports and requiring user authentication for printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ZT mode is executed to block network ports other than prescribed ports, then defense against external threats is improved, but user convenience deteriorates because jobs from unauthorized applications are rejected
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary user authentication before rejecting jobs from unauthorized applications. The authentication unit verifies user credentials in advance, and the control unit stores jobs temporarily even from unauthorized applications, allowing authenticated users to retrieve and execute their jobs later. This preliminary authentication action resolves the contradiction by ensuring user convenience is maintained while security is preserved.
2Reliability
If jobs from unauthorized applications are immediately rejected to maintain security, then defense against external threats is improved, but user convenience deteriorates because legitimate users experience errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides beforehand cushioning by temporarily storing jobs from unauthorized applications in the job storage unit instead of immediately rejecting them. This cushioning mechanism prevents job data loss while maintaining security, as the control unit preserves the job data and allows authenticated users to retrieve and execute their jobs later, thus resolving the contradiction between security and preventing information loss.
3Reliability
If all network ports are blocked except prescribed ports, then defense against external threats is improved, but adaptability deteriorates because users cannot submit jobs from various applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism where the control unit acts as a mediator between unauthorized applications and the image forming apparatus. Even though network ports are blocked, the control unit receives and stores jobs from unauthorized applications through alternative means, then allows authenticated users to execute these jobs. This intermediary approach maintains defense against external threats while preserving application compatibility and user adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus capable of achieving both convenience of a user and defense against external threats is provided. The image forming apparatus that transmits and receives data to and from a plurality of external apparatuses via a plurality of network ports includes a setting unit configured to set an application permitted to be used in a mode, which blocks the network ports other than a prescribed network port in response to a request from the outside, a job storing unit configured such that in a case that a job received from the external apparatus via one of the plurality of network ports is not a job of the application permitted to be used which is set by the setting unit, the received job is stored, an authentication unit configured to perform user authentication, and a print permitting unit configured such that in a case that the user authentication is performed by the authentication unit with respect to a user who generated the stored job, printing of the stored job by the authenticated user is permitted.