A physical unclonable function (PUF) imaged through two faces is disclosed. The PUF is difficult to counterfeit because the view through both faces must be duplicated for a successful counterfeit. PUF may be incorporated into a user-replaceable supply item for an imaging device. A PUF reader may be incorporated into an imaging device to read the PUF. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

An image forming apparatus transmits a database to an external server. The image forming apparatus includes a storage section, a replication section, an encipherment section, a transmission section, a generation section, and an acquisition section. The storage section stores a database therein. The replication section generates a replica of the database stored in the storage section as a replicated database. The encipherment section enciphers the replicated database. The transmission section transmits the enciphered database to the external server each time a predetermined time period elapses. The generation section generates a deciphering key for deciphering the enciphered database. The acquisition section acquires disaster information. Upon the acquisition section acquiring the disaster information, the transmission section transmits the deciphering key to the external server.

An image reading apparatus includes a CCD sensor that reads an image on a first face of a document, oriented upward on a document tray, while the document is being transported through the first transport route, a CIS that reads an image on a second face of the document, oriented downward on the document tray, while the document is being transported through the common transport route, and a controller that permits a facsimile communication device to transmit the image on the first face of the document read by the CCD sensor, and restricts the facsimile communication device from transmitting the image on the second face of the document, read by the CIS.

An image forming apparatus, guide providing method thereof, cloud server and error analyzing method thereof are provided. The image forming apparatus may include a scanner configured to scan a script and generate a scan image, a communicator configured to communicate with a cloud server, a display configured display a screen, and a processor configured to control the communicator to transmit the generated scan image to a cloud server, and in response to receiving an error solution guide of the scan image from the cloud server, control the display to display the received error solution guide.

A physical unclonable function (PUF) imaged through two faces is disclosed. The PUF is difficult to counterfeit because the view through both faces must be duplicated for a successful counterfeit. PUF may be incorporated into a user-replaceable supply item for an imaging device. A PUF reader may be incorporated into an imaging device to read the PUF. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

An image reading apparatus includes a scanner to read a document, a memory to store an address and a job condition of the document read by the scanner, and circuitry to identify a user, send the document read by the scanner to the address under the job condition, determine whether a type of the document read by the scanner is a confidential document, search a number of times the confidential document has been sent to the address in the memory when the type of the document is determined as the confidential document, and display, on a screen, a message whether to send the document read by the scanner to the address under the job condition when the number of the times is less than a predetermined times.

An image obtaining device includes a communication interface configured to communicate with a terminal and a controller in communication with the communication interface. The controller configured to: generate encrypted image data using an encryption key and image data received by the controller, transmit the encrypted image data to the terminal via the communication interface; and transmit the encryption key to the terminal via the communication interface in a first situation, wherein the encryption key is not transmitted to the terminal in a second situation different from the first situation.

An image obtaining device includes a communication interface configured to communicate with a terminal and a controller in communication with the communication interface. The controller configured to: generate encrypted image data using an encryption key and image data received by the controller, transmit the encrypted image data to the terminal via the communication interface; and transmit the encryption key to the terminal via the communication interface in a first situation, wherein the encryption key is not transmitted to the terminal in a second situation different from the first situation.