Patent ID: 8555074

Claim:
An information processing system, comprising more than two information processing apparatuses which are communicably connected with each other along a transfer route, wherein each of the information processing apparatuses other than the information processing apparatus at the end of the transfer route includes: a data acquiring unit that acquires image data; a tamper-resistant chip including a storing unit that stores a confidential key specific to a device; and a collecting unit that collects operation-state information related to an operation state of the device at a time of acquiring the image data; an authentication unit that conducts an individual authentication of a user; an attaching unit that attaches the collected operation-state information and authentication information of the user recorded at a time of the individual authentication to the acquired image data; an encrypting unit that encrypts the acquired image data with the operation-state information and the authentication information attached, using the confidential key; and a transmitting unit that transmits the encrypted image data to another information processing apparatus among the information processing apparatuses, and the information processing apparatus at the end of the transfer route includes: a decrypting unit that receives the encrypted image data transferred among the information processing apparatuses, and sequentially decrypts the encrypted image data so as to confirm the transfer route of the encrypted image data, specify the information processing apparatus that first transmitted the encrypted image data, and specify the respective users of the information processing apparatuses along said transfer route.