Image Processing Apparatus Security Policy Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems lack user-friendliness in changing user modes of multifunction peripherals to maintain compliance with information security policies, requiring administrative intervention and lacking flexibility in settings like switching between 'use SSL' and 'use IPSEC' for encryption.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus with a reception unit for security policy data, an identification unit to determine the operation mode, and a configuration unit to ensure compliance with the information security policy, allowing users to change settings while maintaining policy compliance without administrative intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If security policy data is distributed to multifunction peripherals, then information security compliance is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to vendor-specific setting variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a conversion unit as an intermediary component that translates vendor-neutral security policy data into vendor-specific user mode settings. This conversion unit acts as a mediator between the universal security requirements and the proprietary implementation details of different multifunction peripheral vendors, automatically handling the translation without requiring administrator intervention for each vendor's specific settings
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation from vendor-specific setting parameters to vendor-neutral security policy parameters. By defining security requirements in terms of generic parameters (encryption required, authentication required) rather than vendor-specific parameters (SSL setting, IPSEC setting), the system enables uniform policy distribution across different vendors while maintaining compliance
2Reliability
If administrator configures settings on a multifunction peripheral-by-multifunction peripheral basis, then information security compliance is improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate due to enormous administrative effort
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining security policy data with all necessary security requirements before distribution. The conversion unit is pre-configured with knowledge of multiple vendors' user mode settings, enabling it to automatically translate security policies into appropriate settings for any target device without requiring real-time administrator intervention or familiarization with each vendor's specific configuration options
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal security policy data format that can be distributed to multifunction peripherals from any vendor. The conversion unit possesses multi-functionality by supporting conversion to multiple different vendors' specific settings formats, enabling a single security policy definition to serve multiple different device types and vendors through automatic translation
3Adaptability or versatility
If user mode settings are made flexible for different vendors, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to different setting items between vendors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the setting configuration into two distinct layers: a vendor-neutral security policy layer that defines security requirements universally, and a vendor-specific user mode layer that handles implementation details. This segmentation allows the system to maintain adaptability across vendors while hiding the complexity of vendor-specific settings from the policy definition process, as the conversion unit automatically handles the mapping between layers
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus which enables a user to change the user mode while maintaining the state compliant with the information security policy. A network communication section receives security policy data in which information security policy is described from an external apparatus. A CPU identifies an operation mode of the image processing apparatus based on the received security policy. The CPU configures the identified operation mode such that the information security policy is satisfied.