A server and a client hold common secret information in respective secret
information holding units. A server Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) unit in
the server generates a CRC code after adding the secret information to
communication data, and transmits the communication data with the CRC
code attached. A client CRC unit of the client generates a CRC code after
adding the secret information to communication data, and checks whether
or not an error has occurred in the communication data on the
communication path. Since the client holds the secret information, the
client determines that an error has not occurred, and obtains the
communication data. On the other hand, a router, which does not hold the
secret information, is unable to obtain the communication data. This
prevents the communication data from being transferred to devices outside
an authorized domain.