Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for controlling access to personally identifiable information

US7716242B2 · kind B2 · utility

313Cited by
4References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 19, 2004
Grant dateMay 11, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 15, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F21/6227
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that controls access to personally identifiable information (PII) in a database system. During operation, the system receives a request from an application to perform a function which involves accessing information in the database system. In response to the request, the system identifies a purpose that the application has in making request to perform the function. Next, the system uses the purpose to identify a set of attributes in the database system, which are associated with the purpose. The system then determines if any of the identified attributes contain PII. If so, the system enforces access controls while accessing the identified attributes containing PII.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.