Canon promises keyword-based document printing and scanning security system

Canon introduced Uniflow 5, the latest version of its document management system which can prevent users from printing or copying documents containing specific words through an intelligent keyboard-based security system.

Uniflow is a long-standing Canon document management system that provides centralized management of printers, scanners, copiers and multifunction devices. This keeps a record of the number of documents printed, etc. and by whom for billing purposes. This is essential for professions that bill clients by the hour or the amount of work performed, such as lawyers and architects. The system requires both a Uniflow server on your network and Uniflow compatible Canon imaging devices.

The latest version of Uniflow has an intelligent, keyword-based security system. Once configured by an administrator, the system can prevent a user from attempting to print, scan, copy, or fax a document that contains a prohibited keyword, such as a customer name or code name. project.

The server will email the administrator a PDF copy of the document in question if a user attempts to do so. The system can optionally notify the user by e-mail that their attempt has been blocked, but without identifying the keyword in question, maintaining the security of the system.

Uniflow 5 keyword recognition uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology licensed from Belgian OCR company Iris, a technology more commonly used to transform scanned documents into editable text. Canon UK representatives confirmed IT’S PRO suspects that a smart, determined user who guessed the banned keyword could bypass it by simply substituting numbers or other characters for letters, like z00 instead of zoo.

Nonetheless, the usefulness of this feature is immediately apparent to any business dealing with sensitive documents, whether for data protection, compliance, legal, or business reasons. Canon representatives were unable to confirm when Uniflow 5 products would be available for purchase.