Interrogation Data Structure for Secure Database Query Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing database access technologies face challenges in securely and privately accessing raw identifiers from multiple databases while maintaining data privacy and compliance with regulations like GDPR, especially when different companies have incompatible storage formats and varying access permissions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use interrogation data structures, such as bloom filters or lists of hashes, to securely extract raw identifiers from identity databases without revealing sensitive information, allowing authorized access to raw identifiers while maintaining data privacy and compliance with regulations by using encoded identifiers and set operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is shared among different companies to satisfy queries, then query capability is improved, but data privacy and security risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a mediator between query requests and distributed databases. This intermediary processes queries without requiring direct data sharing between companies, thereby enabling query functionality while preventing unauthorized access and maintaining data privacy through controlled intermediate processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates anonymized copies of data sets that can be shared and queried without exposing sensitive information. These copies contain aggregated or transformed data that preserves query capabilities while removing personally identifiable information, allowing companies to share data safely for analytical purposes.
2Ease of operation
If data is moved and sold across sites to satisfy queries, then data accessibility is improved, but security risks and value leakage worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into different levels of access and granularity. Sensitive data remains localized while aggregated or anonymized segments can be safely shared and moved across sites. This segmentation enables data accessibility for legitimate queries while preventing value leakage by restricting movement of sensitive raw data.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If anonymized aggregated results are provided, then data privacy is improved, but access to specific identifiers worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control over identifier disclosure based on query context, user permissions, and data sensitivity. The system can transition between providing fully anonymized results and revealing specific identifiers when appropriate, allowing flexibility to balance privacy protection with legitimate information access needs based on real-time conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of determining, from an identity database, raw identifiers of entities satisfying a set of attributes. The identity database does not hold the set of attributes in association with any identifiers in the identity database. An interrogation data structure is provided which represents encoded identifiers of entities satisfying the at least one attribute. The interrogation data structure is applied to encoded identifiers held in the identity database in association with respective raw identifiers to determine any raw identifiers which correspond to the encoded identifiers in the interrogation data structure.