User authentication method, monitoring system, monitoring apparatus, and electronic equipment

A monitoring apparatus that communicates with electronic equipment and monitors the electronic equipment, comprising:

• a communication section that acquires, from the electronic equipment, running information that indicates running status of the electronic equipment, and transmits, to a terminal apparatus that is different from the electronic equipment, a control instruction for notification of a need to perform predetermined authentication operation that gives rise to a change in the running status of the electronic equipment, wherein the running information includes information for individual identification of the electronic equipment and information that changes as the electronic equipment runs;
• and
• a judgment section that judges whether the authentication operation has been performed or not on a basis of a change in the running information,
• wherein the user of the terminal apparatus is permitted to access the running information acquired from the electronic equipment in a case where the judgment section judges that the authentication operation has been performed in response to the notification.