Print Job Encryption Intermediary for Secure Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing systems face challenges in securely transmitting and storing print job data over networks, as they lack encryption functions, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access and data leakage, especially when printers do not have decryption capabilities, requiring significant changes to the system configuration to introduce encryption.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with generation, encryption, and output means for print job data, which can encrypt print job data and change the output destination to a decryption-compatible device if the target printer lacks decryption functionality, ensuring secure transmission and storage without altering the existing printing environment significantly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encryption function is introduced into existing printing system, then security of print job data is improved, but device complexity and system configuration changes increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an encryption/decryption intermediary device that sits between the print data generation unit and the printing apparatus. This intermediary handles the encryption of print job data and the decryption of received data, allowing the printing apparatus itself to remain unchanged while still achieving secure encrypted printing. The intermediary acts as a bridge that adds security functionality without requiring modifications to the existing printing system components.
2Reliability
If encryption is applied to print job data, then confidentiality is improved, but compatibility with existing printers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption/decryption intermediary device encrypts print job data before transmission and automatically decrypts the encrypted data upon receipt by the printing apparatus. This allows standard, unmodified printers to receive and process encrypted print jobs without requiring any decryption capability, while still ensuring that the data remains confidential during transmission and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs encryption of print job data in advance, before the data is transmitted to or stored in the printing apparatus. By preprocessing the data with encryption, the system ensures confidentiality is maintained throughout the printing process, while the actual printing apparatus remains a simple, compatible device that doesn't need to understand or implement decryption functionality.
3Ease of operation
If print job data is transmitted unencrypted, then ease of operation is improved, but vulnerability to unauthorized access increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption/decryption intermediary automatically handles the encryption and decryption processes without requiring user intervention. Users simply submit print jobs as usual, and the intermediary transparently encrypts the data for transmission and automatically decrypts it when received by the printer, maintaining ease of operation while protecting against unauthorized access.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic encryption and decryption without requiring users to manually encrypt data or configure security settings. The encryption/decryption intermediary performs these security functions autonomously, allowing users to operate the printing system as before while benefiting from enhanced security protection against eavesdropping and unauthorized access.
Data Source
AI summary
Print job data is generated in accordance with a printing instruction from an application. When encryption of the print job data is designated, the generated print job data is encrypted, and the generated or encrypted print job data is output. When a printing apparatus serving as an output destination to which the encrypted print job data is output does not have a decryption function of decrypting the encrypted print job data, the output destination is changed to a decryption apparatus having the decryption function. When designation to save the print job data in the printing apparatus is detected in encryption, the print job is canceled.