A semiconductor wafer inspection device which identifies an operator when an operation is performed and checks if the requested operation is permitted is provided. In a device that has already performed an operator authentication, the operator identification is further carried out when a particular operation is requested. If the operation requested is a permitted one, it is executed even if requested by an operator different from the one previously authenticated. The history of operations and the change history of in-device data are recorded and displayed. The operator authentication is performed only when necessary.