Credential Management for Privacy Data Access Requests

The patent introduces a credential management system that acts as an intermediary between the computing tools and the data assets. The system retrieves credentials from secure storage, validates them, and uses them to access external data sources. This mediator layer ensures that data access requests are processed through controlled authentication mechanisms, reducing the risk of direct exposure while maintaining the ability to search and access multiple data assets with different structures and formats.

The patent implements preliminary action by retrieving and validating credentials before they are used to access external data sources. The system checks credential validity, monitors usage, and automatically invalidates credentials after use or when expiration is detected. This preliminary validation and monitoring approach allows efficient processing of data subject access requests while maintaining security through proactive credential management rather than reactive response to breaches.

The patent implements self-service by creating a system that automatically monitors credential validity, detects expired or invalid credentials, and invalidates them without human intervention. The credential management system autonomously tracks usage patterns, checks expiration dates, and revokes access when necessary. This automation reduces the need for manual credential management while maintaining high security standards, as the system serves itself by managing its own security credentials through predefined rules and automatic validation processes.