System and methods for the management and security of data variations in an electronic spreadsheet

#Embodiments of the invention described in this specification relate generally to data variation and protection systems, and more particularly, to an electronic spreadsheet data variation management and security system and methods for the management and security of data variations in an electronic spreadsheet.

#Existing data modeling capabilities provide limited flexibility, often leading to inaccurate or inconsistent results, duplication of effort, inappropriate distribution of privileged information, and lack of compliance with data handling regulations.

#Native capabilities within existing spreadsheet application solutions, regarding the ability to define variations of data held in a given location, often limits the scope of what can be defined as a variation, and typically offers little or no additional protection capabilities for its contents. Such solutions also require the user to have knowledge of protected data classifications and ensure they have the prerequisite skill to be able to appropriately handle such information in accordance with the established requirements.

#Having described the invention in general terms, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

#FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates the layering capability of the electronic spreadsheet data variation management and security system, with the layering demonstrated for a given range and where each layer may include a variation of data for a given range.

#FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates a high level operation selection and execution method for the management and security of data variations in an electronic spreadsheet in some embodiments.

#In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the invention can be adapted for any of several applications.

#Some embodiments of the invention include a novel electronic spreadsheet data variation management and security system and novel methods for the management and security of data variations in an electronic spreadsheet. In some embodiments, the electronic spreadsheet data variation management and security system includes a preferred interface with interface tools for creating and tracking various versions, scenarios, or “layers” of a data model, for a given cell or a plurality of cells. The given cell or plurality of cells constitute a capture area (also referred to as a range). Each layer may include user provided data and/or system generated data. The user provided data may be secured using an encryption algorithm and a user access control mechanism (also referred to as “user access controls”). The system generated data relates to user data, such as when information needs to be redacted, obfuscated, or calculated based on the data held within other layers within the same range, or hidden from particular users per user access permissions defined by the user access controls.

#As stated above, existing data modeling capabilities provide limited flexibility, often leading to inaccurate or inconsistent results, duplication of effort, inappropriate distribution of privileged information, and lack of compliance with data handling regulations. In regards to the ability to define variations of data held in a given location, for example, the native capabilities within existing spreadsheet application solutions are typically limited in the scope of what can be defined as a variation, and generally offer little or no additional protection capabilities for the data contents. Such solutions also require the user to have knowledge of protected data classifications and ensure they have the prerequisite skill to be able to appropriately handle such information in accordance with the established requirements. For instance, users of spreadsheet applications often create multiple files, or worksheets, in order to represent variations of data, which can become cumbersome to manage efficiently if the data needs to be shared; especially, if the file contains sensitive information. This is a problem because maintaining different variations of data, while ensuring a consistent analysis model or graphical representation of the data for each variation, requires the user to make the same changes in multiple locations. Also, protecting sensitive areas of information in a controlled fashion is limited or non-existent with conventional data modeling capabilities. Embodiments of the electronic spreadsheet data variation management and security system and methods for the management and security of data variations in an electronic spreadsheet described in this specification solve such problems by providing a layering capability and allowing variations of data to be held within a single cell, or within a plurality of cells (or “range” of cells), which are then able to be defined and secured. These variations, or layers, can contain either user defined information, an abstraction of data based on other layers defined for the same location (to enhance the modeling capabilities), or system generated variants (to prevent the original information being revealed where it is not appropriate to do so). Each of these layers, can be secured in one or more ways, such as preventing changes to or encrypting the data, ensuring no unauthorized access to the information and its integrity. Having data co-exist in a single location, allows complex models and data visualization techniques to be created and utilized rapidly, and applied in a consistent fashion across multiple variations of data, improving accuracy and consistency, while enhancing productivity. Furthermore, monitoring user data entry and matching against a series of rules for known protected data classifications, allows appropriate actions to be taken to ensure the handling of such information in accordance with legal, regulatory, and business requirements.