Core Dump Sensitive Data Redaction for Secure Diagnostics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional core dumps often contain sensitive information that operators are reluctant to share with third parties due to security concerns, leading to inefficiencies in diagnosing errors, as they may require recreating the issue with dummy data or not sharing the dumps at all.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that scans core dumps for sensitive information and optionally alters it, creating a secure copy that can be transmitted to third parties without revealing sensitive details, using input parameters to identify and modify sensitive data while protecting critical information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If core dumps are transmitted to third parties for diagnostic purposes, then error diagnosis efficiency is improved, but sensitive information security deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror diagnosis efficiencyVSAvoidsensitive information exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts sensitive information from the core dump data before transmission to third parties. The system identifies and removes sensitive data elements such as passwords, credit card numbers, and personal information, creating a sanitized version of the core dump that can be safely shared for diagnostic purposes without exposing confidential information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that acts as a mediator between the core dump source and the third-party diagnostic tool. This intermediary automatically scans, identifies, and redacts sensitive information, allowing efficient error diagnosis while protecting sensitive data through an automated intermediary layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If core dumps are not transmitted to third parties, then sensitive information security is maintained, but error diagnosis efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensitive information securityVSAvoiderror diagnosis efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by automatically scanning and redacting sensitive information from core dumps before they are transmitted to third parties. This pre-processing ensures that sensitive data is protected while maintaining the diagnostic value of the core dump, eliminating the need to recreate issues with dummy data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides self-service functionality by automatically identifying and protecting sensitive information without requiring manual intervention. The automated scanning and redaction processes enable the system to handle sensitive data protection independently, maintaining both security and diagnostic efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If manual scanning for sensitive information is performed, then security control is improved, but time consumption deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity controlVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical scanning with automated computational scanning. The system uses computer algorithms to automatically identify and redact sensitive information, substituting human operators with automated processing that is both faster and more consistent, reducing time consumption while maintaining or improving security control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of scanning speed from manual to automated processing. By implementing automated scanning with configurable parameters for sensitivity detection and redaction rules, the system dramatically increases processing speed while maintaining security control, eliminating the time-consuming nature of manual scanning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8639896B2Locating and altering sensitive information in core dumps

Publication Date: 2014.01.28 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A core dump is processed to locate and optionally alter sensitive information. A core dump copy is created from at least a portion of an original core dump. Also, at least one input parameter is provided that corresponds to select information to be identified in the core dump copy and address information associated with the core dump copy is defined that corresponds to at least one of addresses where the select information can be altered and addresses where the select information should not be altered. Each occurrence of the select information located within the core dump copy is identified and optionally replaced with predetermined replacement data if the occurrence of the select information is within the addresses where the select information can be altered.