Patent Application
20230291739
This application relates generally to scan to email printing. The application relates more particularly to the use of cloud-based blacklist information to prevent a scan to email on a public email server with administrator notification when attempted.
Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFPs are understood to comprise printers, alone or in combination with other of the afore-noted functions. It is further understood that any suitable document processing device can be used.
Document processing functions of MFPs can be used to secure copies of sensitive or valuable information.
Various embodiments will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:
The systems and methods disclosed herein are described in detail by way of examples and with reference to the figures. It will be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and described examples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements, apparatuses, devices methods, systems, etc. can suitably be made and may be desired for a specific application. In this disclosure, any identification of specific techniques, arrangements, etc. are either related to a specific example presented or are merely a general description of such a technique, arrangement, etc. Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be, and should not be, construed as mandatory or limiting unless specifically designated as such.
MFPs are ubiquitous in office environments, including environments that have sensitive or valuable information, such as with documents containing trade secrets, personal information or copyrighted information. A user could walk up to an MFP and simply make a hard copy of documents. However, MFPs can readily track copying operations, including an identity of a user, a timing of a copy or a number of copied pages. MFPs can even monitor content of copied documents or prevent copying of certain documents, such as documents bearing a particular indicia. A user can also scan documents into electronic files. In secure environments, an MFP may be secured from writing to portable storage devices such as flash drives or disks. MFPs have more recently been enabled to scan to email where a user enters a destination email address. A scanned document is automatically attached to and sent as outgoing email. There is typically little or no restrictions to sending documents in this fashion. This leaves a window of vulnerability for a leak of sensitive or valuable information.
In example embodiments herein, an MFP reads from a cloud-based e-mail domain blacklist which is used when a scan to email application scans a document. If such a document is scanned and the destination e-mail address is on the blacklist, the document will be scanned, but not sent out as an email attachment. An e-mail alert is sent to a network administrator with a copy of the scanned document, the IP address of the MFP along with its location within the building, including the input destination e-mail address and the date and time attempted transmission.
User 108 inputs a scan to mail command 128 and destination email address 132 into user interface 120, suitably launching a scan to email application on MFP 104.
Included in
After scan file 118 is created, MFP 104 contacts black list file server 140 and requests a copy of a black list associated with its network. If authorized, blacklist server 140 sends blacklist data 146 to MFP 104 which determines if a domain associated with email address is in the blacklist. If not, scan file 118 is attached to an email and sent to email address 132 on public mail server 114. If the domain is the blacklist, a message, suitably an email message, is sent to administrator workstation 144 with scan file 118 as an attachment. No email is created and sent to email address 132. Information in the administrator email message includes useful information, such as IP address 148 of MFP 104, email address 132, confirmation of a received scan to email instruction, an identification of user 108 and a time and date of the attempted transmission. A copy of scan file 118 is attached to the administrator notification email message. User 108 is uninformed when their email 152 has been blocked. A message confirming a transmission of the user's email may be displayed on user interface 120 irrespective as to whether the email was sent or not, allowing an administrator a window of time to address the situation.
Turning now to
Processor 208 is also in data communication with input/output interface 222, suitably comprising a user touchscreen. While touchscreens are discussed in example embodiments herein, it is to be appreciated that any suitable user interface, such as keyboards, switches, displays, trackballs or mice may be used.
Processor 208 is also in data communication with a storage interface 224 for reading or writing to a storage 228, suitably comprised of a hard disk, optical disk, solid-state disk, cloud-based storage, or any other suitable data storage as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Processor 208 is also in data communication with additional interfaces, such as Bluetooth interface 226, NFC interface 230 and card reader 232 for data exchange with proximity cards, such as card keys.
Processor 208 is also in data communication with a network interface 236 which provides an interface to a network interface controller (NIC) 240, which in turn provides a data path to any suitable wired interface or physical network connection 244, or to a wireless data connection via wireless network interface 248. Example wireless network interfaces include optical, cellular, Wi-Fi, wireless universal serial bus (wireless USB), satellite, and the like. Example wired interfaces include Ethernet, USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Lightning, telephone line, or the like.
Processor 208 can also be in data communication with any suitable user input/output (I/O) network interface 222 which provides data communication for interfacing with user peripherals, such as displays, keyboards, mice, track balls, touch screens, or the like. Processor 208 can also be in communication with hardware monitor 252, such as a page counter, temperature sensor, toner or ink level sensor, paper level sensor, or the like.
Also in data communication with data bus 220 is a document processor interface 256 suitable for data communication with the document rendering system 260, including MFP functional units. In the illustrated example, these units include a scan engine comprising copy hardware 264, a scan engine comprise of scan hardware 268, a print engine comprised of print hardware 272 and a fax engine comprised of fax hardware 276 which together comprise document rendering system 260. It will be understood that functional units are suitably comprised of intelligent units, including any suitable hardware or software platform.
Turning now to
Next, the user's document is scanned at block 432 and a determination is made at block 436 whether a domain associated with destination email address is on the blacklist. If so, a network administrator is notified at block 440. The user may be told that the email was delivered to the specified address, even though it was not, at block 444 to give an administrator time to react. The process then ends at block 424. If the email address is determined to not be on the blacklist at block 448, there may be a time window when sending to the specified email address is impermissible even if the address is not on the blacklist. By way of example, destinations may be blocked while an office is closed, late at night or on weekends when employee actions may not be readily observable. If the request is determined at block 448 to be in an authorized time window, or if no time window is specified, the scan document is sent to the requested destination at block 452, delivery is confirmed at block 444 and the process ends at block 424.
The process moves to block 528 where it remains until an MFP blacklist request is received. A test is made to determine whether the request is from an MFP in the pre-authorized subnet at block 532. If not, the process returns to block 528 until another blacklist is requested. If the requesting MFP is in the authorized subnet, the blacklist is sent to the MFP at block 536 and the process returns to block 528.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the spirit and scope of the inventions.
