Patent ID: 8364956

Claim:
A security management server, comprising: an input unit configured to receive image data from at least one network camera; a control unit configured to assign an access authority level to each image data received via the input unit; and a storage unit configured to store therein the image data along with the access authority levels assigned by the control unit, wherein, when receiving a request for specific image data among the image data stored in the storage unit from a user having a user access authority level, the control unit compares the user access authority level and the access authority level assigned to the specific image data, and based on a comparison result thereof, selectively provides the specific image data to the user, wherein the image data is encrypted by the network camera before being transmitted to the security management server, wherein the image data is spatially or temporally masked by the network camera before being transmitted to the security management server, wherein the image data is encrypted by using an encryption key, wherein the image data is masked by using a masking key, wherein the user access authority level is classified into a low, a medium, or a high level, wherein if the user access authority level is the low level, the control unit provides to the user the specific image data only, wherein if the user access authority level is the medium level, the control unit provides to the user the specific image data along with the encryption key, and wherein if the user access authority level is the high level, the control unit provides to the user the specific image data along with the encryption key and the masking key.