An image forming apparatus has an image reading portion generating document image data, a job execution portion executing a job based on the document image data, a control portion controlling the job execution portion, and a storage portion storing a registered signature image. The control portion determines the degree of match between a document signature image present in the document image data and the registered signature image. The control portion permits execution of the job when the degree of match is equal to or higher than a first threshold value and inhibits execution of the job when the degree of match is lower than the first threshold value.

A copy method used in a copy system or a copy apparatus connected to a cloud server includes steps of: scanning a document to obtain old image data containing an old information block; generating new image data containing a new information block according to the old image data; printing the new image data on a medium; and comparing different generations of original image data, one of which is contained in the old image data, in the cloud server to judge whether improper modifications are present on the original image data or not, and notifying an information office to perform an inspection when the improper modifications are present.

Examples disclosed herein relate to a protected electronic communication method comprising assigning a protected electronic communication to a data element, wherein the protected electronic communication comprises a plurality of identifier segments, receiving a request for the data element to be included in an analytics report, determining, according to the protected electronic communication, whether the data element is permitted to be included in the analytics report, and in response to determining that the data element is permitted to be included in the analytics report, providing the data element for use in the analytics report.

A print control apparatus includes an output unit configured to output, in a case where predetermined text data to be restricted from being output by censorship is determined to be included in input print data, information indicating output restriction of the input print data and information enabling identification of a page including the predetermined text data.

A print control apparatus includes a memory, a print processing unit, and an erase processing unit. The memory stores one or more pieces of print data each representing print content and being subjected to a print process. The print processing unit performs the print process for a piece of print data stored in the memory, and generates a piece of post-process data that represents print content. The erase processing unit moves, to a trash or a deletion folder, a piece of data for which the print process has been performed among one or more pieces of data stored in the print processing unit, and performs an erase process for a storage area of the piece of data that has been moved, the erase process being a process of data overwriting and being performed in parallel with the print process that is performed for another piece of print data.

An information processing system adds density information to a first specific region of a document sheet represented by image data, the density information being indicated by a reference density lower than a density index value derived based on densities of pixels included in the image data. The system adds predetermined restriction information to the image data, the restriction information being indicated by a density equal to or higher than the reference density. The system acquires, as a determined density, a density of the first specific region. The system determines, based on the image data, whether a second specific region that is a part or all of a region of the document sheet, includes the restriction information indicated by a density that is equal to or higher than the determined density. If so, the system restricts a specific process concerning the image data from being executed.

An image formation system includes: an encoded image generation device including a first processor that generates print data from manuscript data, sets security information for controlling a print mode of the print data, and generates an encoded image from the print data and the security information; and an image formation device including a second processor that inputs the encoded image, decodes the print data and the security data from the input encoded image, determines whether an output of the decoded print data is available in accordance with the decoded security information, and outputs the decoded print data when it is determined that the output of the print data is available.

A method of determining trust in a supply item in an imaging device for verifying other supply items installed in the imaging device via an algorithm, wherein the imaging device has a plurality of installed supply items. The method comprises: sending challenge data and an indication of the algorithm to a candidate supply item, receiving a challenge response from the candidate supply item, and determining, by the controller, a status of the challenge response, the status being verified or unverified. When the controller determines that the received challenge response is a correct output of the algorithm when the challenge data is input to the algorithm, the status is determined as verified. Further, an imaging device configured to determine trust in a supply item installed in the imaging device for verifying other supply items installed in the imaging device via an algorithm.

An electronic device includes an operation section, first storage, second storage, a processing section, and a display section. The first storage stores data of a file therein. The file includes contents that can be printed. When the operation section receives an instruction for erasing the file, the processing section transfers the file from the first storage to the second storage. The display section displays an inquiry screen for inquiring whether or not to reproduce the file. When the operation section receives an instruction for reproducing the file, the processing section executes print processing or transmission processing. The print processing is processing for printing the contents. The transmission processing is processing for transmitting an email with the file attached thereto. After executing the print processing or the transmission processing, the processing section erases the file from the second storage.

An information processing apparatus capable of preventing damage and loss of an audit log when an attack due to an unauthorized access is detected is provided. The information processing apparatus having one or multiple functions includes a controller configured or programmed to function as a recording unit that records an audit log for each type corresponding to the one or multiple functions, a judging unit that, when an access request to the audit log is received, judges whether or not the access request is an unauthorized access, and a control unit that, in a case that a judgement result of the judging unit indicates that the access request is the unauthorized access, performs a stopping control to stop a function related to the type of the audit log that has received the access request, among the one or multiple functions.