Data Substitution Service for Third-Party Privacy Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Third-party network services face challenges in securely and consistently removing sensitive data, such as ePHI or PII, from larger data sets without causing inconsistencies, as simple deletion can disrupt the integrity of the data set.
Innovation Solution
A network computer system implements a data substitution system that selectively replaces sensitive data items with tokens, maintaining data integrity and security by preventing storage of the substituted data, while allowing for reversible or irreversible substitution procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If sensitive data items are deleted from data sets stored by third-party network services, then privacy and confidentiality restrictions are satisfied, but inconsistencies within the larger data sets occur and data integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data substitution service as an intermediary between the data set and the third-party network service. This service replaces sensitive data items with substitute items (tokens) before storage, preventing direct access to original sensitive data while maintaining data structure integrity. The substitution mechanism acts as a mediator that satisfies privacy requirements without compromising data set consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates substitute items that replicate the format and structural properties of original sensitive data items without containing the actual sensitive information. These copies maintain the necessary data structure and relationships within the data set, allowing the system to preserve data integrity while eliminating privacy risks associated with storing actual sensitive information.
2Reliability
If sensitive data items are retained in data sets, then data integrity and utility are maintained, but privacy and confidentiality restrictions are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The data substitution service serves as an intermediary that processes data before it is stored by the third-party network service. It replaces sensitive items with substitute items that maintain structural integrity while preventing privacy violations. This intermediary layer allows the system to retain data utility without directly storing prohibited sensitive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms sensitive data items into substitute items by changing their parameter representation. Instead of storing actual sensitive values, the system stores transformed representations (tokens) that maintain the necessary format and relationships for data utility while fundamentally altering the content to eliminate privacy risks.
3Reliability
If substitute items are used to replace sensitive data, then privacy restrictions are satisfied and data integrity is maintained, but additional system complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The data substitution service is designed as a universal solution that can handle multiple types of sensitive data items across different data sets through a single standardized mechanism. By creating a multi-functional substitution system that works with various data formats and third-party services, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to implementing separate solutions for each data type or service.
Data Source
AI summary
A network computer system to selectively anonymize data items of a collection of data structures, where the network computer system is implemented as a backend web service. The network computer system receives a first web service call from a third-party network service, identifies a character string in a data item that has a format that coincides with the particular format, select a token from a token pool, and provides a response to the first web service call that causes the third-party network service to store a modified data item, where the modified data item is generated by replacing the character string in the data item with the token.