Print Data Virus Scanning for Secure Image Forming Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems face the risk of incomplete virus detection due to outdated virus scanning engines and pattern files, leading to potential infection of client devices with undetected viruses, and inefficiencies in reducing the time to start printing.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus and system that utilize a virus detector to execute infection countermeasure processing using a new virus scanning engine and pattern file, generating and adding virus scanning information to secure print data, ensuring the use of the latest scanning tools and enabling secure printing by connected image forming apparatuses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virus check processing is executed using the latest virus scanning engine and pattern file, then virus detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to frequent updates and version management
Solution Approach 1:
The parent device executes virus check processing using the latest virus scanning engine and pattern file before transmitting print data to the child device. By performing the virus check in advance and attaching the checked information to the print data, the system ensures that virus detection is always performed with updated scanning tools, improving reliability while the child device can operate with potentially older local versions without compromising detection effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The parent device acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the need for latest virus detection capabilities and the child device's operational requirements. The parent device downloads and executes virus checks with the latest engine and pattern files, then transmits both the print data and the checked information (including virus check result and pattern file version) to the child device, effectively mediating the version management complexity
2Productivity
If the child device performs virus check processing locally, then printing speed is improved by avoiding re-checking, but virus detection reliability deteriorates when the local pattern file is outdated
Solution Approach 1:
The parent device performs the virus check processing in advance before transmitting print data to the child device. By executing the virus check beforehand and attaching the checked information to the print data, the system enables the child device to skip redundant virus checking and proceed directly to printing, thereby improving printing speed while ensuring that the virus check was performed with the latest scanning tools
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the parent device attaches checked information (including virus check result and pattern file version) to the transmitted print data. The child device receives this feedback and uses it to determine whether to perform additional virus checking or proceed directly to printing, optimizing both speed and reliability based on the parent device's virus check results
3Ease of operation
If the parent device transmits all print data to the child device, then client accessibility is improved, but the risk of transmitting undetected viruses increases
Solution Approach 1:
The parent device executes virus check processing on all print data before transmitting it to the child device. By performing the virus check in advance and attaching the checked information to each print data item, the system ensures that only virus-checked data is transmitted, reducing the risk of transmitting undetected viruses while maintaining full accessibility for the child device
Solution Approach 2:
The parent device acts as a security intermediary that filters and validates print data before transmission. By executing virus checks and attaching checked information to print data, the parent device mediates between the child device's need for data accessibility and the security requirement to prevent virus transmission, allowing the child device to access all print data with confidence that virus checks have been performed
Data Source
AI summary
In an image forming apparatus, appropriate virus infection countermeasure processing is executed using a new virus scanning engine or the like, and a likelihood that the image forming apparatus may be infected with a computer virus is reduced.An information processing apparatus includes a print data acquirer that acquires print data, a virus detector that executes predetermined infection countermeasure processing on the print data and detects a computer virus, a virus scanning information generator that generates virus scanning information for specifying a setting item related to the infection countermeasure processing executed and adds the virus scanning information to print data in which a computer virus has not been detected by the virus detector, a print information generator that generates print information including print data requested from an image forming apparatus connected via a network among a plurality of pieces of the print data acquired, and a print information transmitter that transmits the generated print information to the image forming apparatus.