Secure Print Service Authentication Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network printing, hard copies of electronic documents can be accessed and read by unauthorized persons before the intended recipient retrieves them, compromising confidentiality due to the lack of secure printing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A secure print service system that generates a job name and password for print jobs, transmitting these to the intended recipient via an authentication message, requiring the recipient to enter the password at the network printer for authentication before the document is printed, ensuring only authorized individuals can access the printed documents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network printers are shared by multiple user devices for optimal use of printer resources, then printer resource utilization is improved, but security of printed documents deteriorates as unauthorized persons can access and read documents before intended recipients retrieve them
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by sending the print job to an authentication module that generates and transmits a password to the intended recipient before the actual printing occurs. This preliminary action ensures that only authorized recipients can retrieve the printed documents, resolving the security issue while maintaining shared printer accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
An authentication module is introduced as an intermediary between the print job submission and the actual printing process. This intermediary generates passwords, transmits them to intended recipients, and validates authentication credentials, thereby enabling secure access control in a shared printing environment without compromising printer resource utilization
2Ease of operation
If print jobs are submitted directly to network printers without authentication, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of confidential information protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication module serves as an intermediary that automatically handles password generation and transmission, so users experience minimal additional steps in the printing process while confidential information is protected through automated authentication mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by transmitting password information to the intended recipient through electronic messaging, creating a closed-loop authentication system that confirms authorized access while maintaining ease of operation for legitimate users
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for securely printing an electronic document. The electronic document is received as a print job at a secure print service system from a user device. The secure print service system generates a job name and a password for the print job by the secure print service system. The secure print service system then transmits the job name for the print job to a network printer communicatively coupled to the secure print service system. At the network printer, a recipient password is received from the network printer. Then, the secure print service system authorizes the printing of the document at the network printer based on comparison of the recipient password received from the network printer and the password generated by the secure print service system.