Wind Turbine Component Access Log Anonymization via Hashing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compliance with increasingly strict data protection guidelines for personal data in wind turbine and wind farm log files is challenging due to the large number of distributed control systems and the difficulty in targeted deletion of user IDs, especially when service employees leave the company.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a predefined hash function to anonymize user IDs by converting them into character strings, which are stored in logs instead of the original IDs, allowing for compliance with data protection guidelines without the need to delete these strings, and a central allocation table for mapping character strings back to user IDs only accessible by authorized personnel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user IDs corresponding to service employees' names are stored in log files for traceability, then access monitoring and traceability are improved, but data protection compliance deteriorates due to storage of personal data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hash value as an intermediary between the user ID and its storage in log files. Instead of storing the actual user ID (personal data), the system stores a hash value that serves as a unique identifier without containing personal information. This intermediary allows traceability through the hash value while preventing direct identification of employees, thus resolving the contradiction between traceability and data protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the personal data (user ID) from the log file storage by replacing it with a hash value. The extraction process removes the harmful element (personal data) while preserving the functional element (unique identification) through the hash value, enabling traceability without storing actual employee names.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If user IDs are deleted from log files when employees leave the company to comply with data protection regulations, then data protection compliance is improved, but access traceability deteriorates as logs can no longer be properly analyzed
Solution Approach 1:
The hash value acts as a permanent intermediary that remains in the log files even after employees leave the company. This intermediary maintains the link to the original user ID through the hash function, allowing log analysis to continue without requiring the actual user ID to be present in the logs, thus preserving traceability while ensuring data protection compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the user ID in the form of a hash value that can be stored indefinitely in the log files. This hash copy preserves the identifying information needed for traceability while being devoid of personal data, allowing logs to remain analyzable without violating data protection regulations.
3Reliability
If actual user IDs are stored in distributed log files across thousands of control systems, then access monitoring is improved, but the complexity and effort of regular updates to comply with data protection regulations increases
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing user IDs with hash values across all distributed control systems, the patent creates a standardized intermediary that simplifies data management. The hash values can be stored indefinitely without requiring updates when employees leave, eliminating the complex task of tracking and updating personal data across thousands of distributed systems while maintaining access monitoring capabilities.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention comprises a method for monitoring a setting or program access to a component (14) of a wind turbine (100) or a wind farm (112), comprising the steps of querying (50) access authorization data (54), comprising at least one user identifier (56), in particular a username, receiving (58) confirmation of the entry of the access authorization data (54), determining (60) a character string (66) dependent on the user identifier (56) of the received access authorization data, and storing (64) the determined character string (66) in a log (24) of a memory (26), wherein the character string (66) is determined from the user identifier (56) using a predefined hash function (62). The invention further comprises a component of a wind turbine (100) or a wind farm (112), a system with multiple components, and a computer program product.