1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a complex image forming apparatus having plural functions, a control method of the apparatus, and a control program of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a complex image forming apparatus (referred to as MFP) having plural functions such as a scan function and a network print function other than the normal copy function. This complex image forming apparatus is mounted with a storing unit for storing image data and the like, for example, a hard disk drive.
In the image forming apparatus, an overwrite mode is prepared as security means for preventing deficiency in that existing data stored in the hard disk drive is read and leaks to the outside. Once this overwrite mode is set, when new data is stored in the hard disk drive, the new data is overwritten on the existing data in the hard disk drive. The existing data is erased by this overwriting. According to this erasure, it is possible to prevent the deficiency in that the existing data in the hard disk drive is read and leaks to the outside.
As means for designating setting and release of such an overwrite mode, an enabler key is prepared. When this enabler key is inserted in a main body of the image forming apparatus, the overwrite mode is set. When the enabler key is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, the overwrite mode is released.
However, anybody can remove the enabler key from the main body of the image forming apparatus.
Therefore, any person attempting to steal the existing data in the hard disk drive can remove the enabler key from the main body and easily steal the existing data in the hard disk drive.