Patent ID: 8600064

Claim:
An information processing apparatus that performs a mutual authentication process with another information processing apparatus that stores second key management information and a second apparatus secret key, the second key management information containing a second encrypted secret key set that contains one or more second encrypted secret keys, each of the one or more second encrypted secret keys being a second secret key and being encrypted using a selected one of apparatus secret keys, the apparatus secret keys being respectively assigned to information processing apparatuses, the second apparatus secret key being one of the apparatus secret keys, the information processing apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores first key management information and a first apparatus secret key, the first key management information containing a first encrypted secret key set that contains one or more first encrypted secret keys, each of the one or more first encrypted secret keys being a first secret key and being encrypted using a selected one of the apparatus secret keys, the first apparatus secret key being one of the apparatus secret keys; a first transmitting unit that transmits, to the another information processing apparatus, designation information that is used to specify at least one encrypted secret key that can be decrypted using the first apparatus secret key, out of the first encrypted secret key set contained in the first key management information, and the first key management information; a receiving unit that receives, from the another information processing apparatus, the at least one encrypted secret key specified by the designation information out of the second encrypted secret key set contained in the second key management information according to a comparison of a newness of the first key management information with a newness of the second key management information; an obtaining unit that obtains the second secret key contained in the second key management information in a secret manner by decrypting the at least one encrypted secret key received by the receiving unit using the first apparatus secret key; and an authenticating unit that performs the authentication process with the another information processing apparatus using the second secret key.