Information processing trminal, method, program, and integrated circuit for controlling access to confidential information, and recording medium having the program recorded thereon

A method of controlling access to confidential information, said method being performed by an information processing terminal including an storage area in which general information and confidential information are recorded, and an accessible area holding unit configured to hold an accessible area designation map, the accessible area designation map indicating an area of activity in which access to the confidential information is allowed, said method comprising:

• receiving an access command from a user to the general information or the confidential information recorded in the storage area;
• and
• determining whether or not access to the confidential information is allowed in response to the access command to the confidential information, received in said receiving,
• said determining includes:
• acquiring current location information indicating a current location of the information processing terminal;
• allowing access to the confidential information when the location of the information processing terminal indicated by the current location information is on the accessible area designation map held in the accessible area holding unit;
• and
• accessing the confidential information recorded in the storage area in response to the access allowed in said allowing
• wherein the accessible area designation map is expressed as a set of a plurality of sections,
• the confidential information recorded in said storage area is encrypted with a data key,
• the data key is encrypted with a distinct section key assigned to each of the sections, and
• in said accessing, the section key is generated based on the current location information acquired in said acquiring, the data key is decrypted with the generated section key, and the confidential information recorded in said storage area is decrypted with the decrypted data key.

An integrated circuit for controlling access to confidential information, comprising:

• a storage area in which general information and confidential information are recorded;
• an input/output receiving unit configured to receive an access command from a user to the general information or the confidential information recorded in said storage area;
• an accessible area holding unit configured to hold an accessible area designation map, the accessible area designation map indicating an area of activity in which access to the confidential information is allowed;
• and
• a confidential information access control unit configured to determine whether or not access to the confidential information is allowed in response to receiving an access command to the confidential information at said input/output receiving unit,
• wherein said confidential information access control unit includes:
• a current location acquisition unit configured to acquire current location information indicating a current location of said information processing terminal;
• an access determination unit configured to allow access to the confidential information when the location of said information processing terminal indicated by the current location information is on the accessible area designation map held in said accessible area holding unit;
• and
• a confidential information access unit configured to access to the confidential information recorded in said storage area in response to the access allowed by said access determination unit,
• wherein the accessible area designation map is expressed as a set of a plurality of sections,
• the confidential information recorded in said storage area is encrypted with a data key,
• the data key is encrypted with a distinct section key assigned to each of the sections, and
• said confidential information access unit is configured to generate the section key based on the current location information acquired by said current location acquisition unit, to decrypt the data key with the generated section key, and to decrypt the confidential information recorded in said storage area with the decrypted data key.