Patent ID: 8327133

Claim:
A communication device configured to perform communication with at least one external device via a network using a secret key and an electronic certificate that includes information on a public key corresponding to the secret key, comprising: a storing system configured to store the secret key and the electronic certificate, the electronic certificate including address information on an address of the management device that manages the list of revoked electronic certificates; and a hardware processor configured to, when executing instructions stored in the storing system, control the communication device to serve as a receiving system configured to receive an instruction to delete at least one of the secret key and the electronic certificate stored in the storing system in addition to an instruction to initialize communication settings for the communication device; a revocation instructing system configured to instruct, via the network, a management device that manages a list of revoked electronic certificates to register the electronic certificate stored in the storing system with the list in response to the instruction to delete at least one of the secret key and the electronic certificate stored in the storing system and to instruct, via the network, a management device that manages a list of revoked electronic certificates to register the electronic certificate stored in the storing system with the list in response to the instruction to initialize communication settings for the communication device received by the receiving system, said management device being a management device corresponding to the address information included in the electronic certificate stored in the storing system; an initializing system configured to initialize communication settings for the communication device by resetting a user area of said storing system including deleting the secret key and electronic certificate stored in the storing system in response to the instruction to initialize communication settings for the communication device received by the receiving system; and a deleting system configured to delete the at least one of the secret key and the electronic certificate stored in the storing system in response to the instruction to delete at least one of the secret key and the electronic certificate stored in the storing system received by the receiving system.