Patent ID: 8054977

Claim:
A monitoring apparatus adapted to communicate with at least one image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus via a local area network, and to communicate with a central monitoring apparatus, the monitoring apparatus comprising: at least one microprocessor programmed to control: an acquisition unit adapted to acquire monitoring information associated with the image forming apparatus; an encryption unit adapted to perform a first encryption process for encrypting the acquired monitoring information, where the first encryption process encrypts a common key used for encrypting monitoring information, by using a first encryption key of the central monitoring apparatus; an output unit adapted to output the encrypted monitoring information, on which the first encryption process has been performed by using the first encryption key, to a first output destination assigned to the central monitoring apparatus, wherein the encryption unit is further adapted to perform a second encryption process encrypting the acquired monitoring information, where the second encryption process encrypts a common key used for encrypting monitoring information, by using a second encryption key different from the first encryption key, when the acquired monitoring information is output to a second output destination different from the first output destination; and a server unit adapted to send, to said information processing apparatus, information which includes a decryption key corresponding to the second encryption key so that the encrypted monitoring information, on which the second encryption process has been performed by using the second encryption key when being output to the second output destination, can be read.