Removable Medium Apparatus ID Segmentation for Data Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a network environment with multiple computers and card readers, users who know the password for the card reader may inadvertently access sensitive data stored on memory cards, risking data leakage of confidential information.
Innovation Solution
A removable-medium apparatus with a memory unit storing ID information, a receiving unit for specifying ID information, and a control unit that only allows data output when the entered ID information matches the specified information, ensuring that data is sent only to authorized devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a password is set for the card reader to control access, then access security is improved, but all users with the password can access all data including confidential information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single password protection into multiple hierarchical ID information levels. Instead of one universal password, the system divides access control into different ID types (e.g., employee ID, department ID, project ID) that can be combined and specified. This segmentation allows fine-grained control where different ID combinations grant different levels of access to different data, preventing unauthorized access to confidential information while maintaining security.
2Ease of operation
If IC card stores user name and password for automatic input, then operation convenience is improved, but the stored credentials can be misused for unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication process by storing multiple types of ID information separately in the IC card rather than a single password. The system requires specification of which ID type to use and may require combination of multiple IDs. This segmentation maintains convenience of automatic input while enhancing security through multi-factor authentication logic, as the stored IDs alone are insufficient without proper specification and combination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control mechanism between the IC card authentication and data access. The card reader apparatus acts as an intermediary that verifies not just the presence of valid credentials but also the appropriateness of the ID specification and combination. This intermediary layer prevents misuse by checking whether the authenticated user has proper authorization for the specific data being accessed, adding a security checkpoint between authentication and data retrieval.
Data Source
AI summary
A removable-medium apparatus having a memory unit that stores a plurality of ID information for accessing a removable medium, and a receiving unit that receives an instruction for specifying ID information from among the plurality of ID information stored in the memory unit. The removable-medium apparatus determines whether or not ID information that is entered matches the ID information that is specified by the receiving unit, and outputs data that is stored on the removable medium when it is determined that the entered ID information matches the specified ID information, and does not output data that is stored on the removable medium when it is determined that the entered ID information does not match the specified ID information.