PII Detection via Separate Metadata Source
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting personally identifiable information (PII) in databases are inefficient and often violate data privacy regulations due to the need for direct access, which can be prohibitively time-intensive and risky, especially when dealing with large datasets.
Innovation Solution
A system and process that utilize a separate metadata source to identify locations of PII in a database, allowing for faster and more secure detection without direct access to the database, using a PII scanner integrated into a software platform that searches metadata tables and fields to locate PII, enabling both automated and manual verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If direct database searching is performed to detect PII, then detection accuracy is improved, but detection time increases prohibitively and data privacy risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary layer between the search mechanism and the actual database. Instead of directly searching the database for PII, the system searches metadata that describes the database structure, content, and characteristics. This intermediary approach enables indirect detection of PII locations without accessing or processing the actual sensitive data, thereby reducing detection time while maintaining accuracy and preserving data privacy.
2Measurement precision
If direct database searching is performed to detect PII, then detection accuracy is improved, but data privacy compliance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses metadata as an intermediary that allows PII detection without direct access to sensitive data. The metadata contains descriptive information about database contents, structure, and characteristics, enabling the system to identify PII locations and types without actually retrieving or exposing the personal information itself. This approach maintains detection accuracy while ensuring data privacy compliance.
3Productivity
If metadata searching is used to detect PII, then detection speed is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relies on metadata that has been pre-generated and maintained as the database evolves. This preliminary action of creating and updating metadata in advance eliminates the need for complex real-time analysis of actual database contents during PII detection. The pre-computed metadata structure simplifies the detection process while maintaining high speed, as the system only needs to query and analyze the already-organized metadata rather than processing raw database data.
Data Source
AI summary
A configuration associated with locating personally identifiable information stored in a database is received. An alternate metadata source separate from the database is identified. The separate alternate metadata source is searched using the configuration to identify locations in the database that store personally identifiable information.