Method and apparatus for securing the privacy of sensitive information in a data-handling system
US8046592B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 23, 2006 |
| Grant date | Oct 25, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 28, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/6245
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data-handling system (20) is arranged to scan through data it holds for instances of sensitive information as identified by reference (35) to a set of sensitive-information identifiers held by the system. Each identifier identifies one or more items of sensitive information (25) and is so formed or protected as to not reveal any such item. Following an instance of sensitive information being found by the scan, it is replaced by a reference to an instance of the corresponding sensitive-information item (25) held in protected storage (21). As a result, in due course the only instances of, sensitive information held by the system (20) will be those in the protected storage (21).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.