Electronic Document Redaction with Markup Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for encrypting electronic documents fail to encrypt all instances of sensitive data, including non-displayed instances within the markup, leaving them vulnerable to unauthorized access, and do not maintain the document layout when redacting sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that identifies all instances of sensitive data in an electronic document, both visible and non-visible, replaces them with neutral data items, and inserts an encrypted version into the document markup, allowing only authorized users to decrypt and view the sensitive information while maintaining the document's layout and format.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensitive data items are encrypted in the rendered version of the electronic document, then authorized users can view the sensitive information securely, but unauthorized users can still access the sensitive data by examining the markup source code
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensitive data representation into two distinct forms: an encrypted version for display in the rendered document and a redacted version for the markup source code. This segmentation ensures that the sensitive data is protected in both the visual presentation and the underlying code structure, preventing unauthorized access regardless of which version is examined.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality treatments to different locations where the same sensitive data appears in the markup. Specifically, it replaces sensitive data with redacted content (e.g., asterisks or placeholder text) in certain markup instances while maintaining encrypted versions in others. This local differentiation ensures that even if someone examines the markup, they cannot retrieve the actual sensitive information.
2Reliability
If all instances of sensitive data in the markup are encrypted, then comprehensive data protection is achieved, but the document layout and formatting may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the sensitive data in redacted form (such as asterisks or placeholder text) that mirrors the position and formatting of the original sensitive data. This copied redacted version maintains the document's visual layout and structure while eliminating the actual sensitive information from the markup source code, thus preserving layout integrity while achieving comprehensive protection.
3Ease of operation
If the markup source code contains unencrypted sensitive data, then document editing and processing is simplified, but data privacy and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary redaction of sensitive data in the markup source code before the document is finalized or shared. By proactively replacing sensitive data with redacted versions in the markup during the document creation or editing phase, the system ensures that sensitive information is never exposed in the source code, thereby preventing unauthorized access while maintaining ease of document processing through automated redaction workflows.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for redacting an electronic document (ED) having a file format, including: obtaining a request to redact a sensitive data item in the ED; identifying a first instance and a second instance of the sensitive data item in a markup of the ED, where the second instance of the sensitive data item is not visible in a rendered version of the ED; and generating a redacted ED having the file format by: replacing the first instance of the sensitive data item and the second instance of the sensitive data item with a neutral data item, and inserting, into the markup, an encrypted version of the sensitive data item at a first location.