# US 12,772,049 B2 · Multi-tenant anonymization with forensics capabilities (MAF) > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,772,049 B2 - Document ID: US12772049B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/001,972 - Filed: 2020-06-25 - Published: 2023-07-27 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-25 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Bernard Smeets; Harri Hakala; Tommy Arngren; Yosr Jarraya; Makan Pourzandi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12772049B2 ## CPC - H04W 12/041: Key generation or derivation - H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] - H04W 12/0431: Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract According to some embodiments, a security management entity is provided. The security management entity includes processing circuitry configured to: generate a key having a plurality of key parts, anonymize at least a first data instance at least in part by using the key with threshold cryptography, transmit a respective key part to each one of the plurality of trusted entities, store at least one key part where the stored at least one key part is different from the transmitted respective key parts, receive a message from a first trusted entity of the plurality of trusted entities for investigating the anonymized first data instance where the message includes one of the transmitted respective key parts, and deanonymize the first data instance using the stored at least one key part and the one of the transmitted respective key parts associated with the first trusted entity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A security management entity for communication with a plurality of trusted entities, the security management entity comprising: processing circuitry configured to: split a cryptographic key into a plurality of key parts where a threshold number of key parts are combinable to reconstruct the cryptographic key according to threshold cryptography; anonymize at least a first data instance at least in part by using the key with threshold cryptography; transmit a respective key part of the plurality of key parts to each one of the plurality of trusted entities; store at least one key part of the plurality of key parts, the stored at least one key part being different from the transmitted respective key parts; receive a message from a first trusted entity of the plurality of trusted entities for investigating the anonymized first data instance, the message including one of the transmitted respective key parts associated with the first trusted entity; and deanonymize the first data instance using the cryptographic key that is reconstructed using the stored at least one key part and the one of the transmitted respective key parts associated with the first trusted entity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The security management entity of claim 1, wherein the anonymizing includes: concatenating each of a plurality of data instances with a respective token; and anonymizing each concatenation of the data instance with the respective token using the cryptographic key with threshold cryptography, the plurality of data instances including the first data instance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The security management entity of claim 1, wherein the anonymizing includes adding a token to the first data instance and encrypting both the first data instance and the token, the token being specific to the first data instance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The security management entity of claim 3, wherein the deanonymization of the first data instance includes: decrypting a subset of a plurality of data instances having a same attribute type as the first data instance, the subset including the first data instance; filtering the subset based on a value associated with the attribute type; retrieving a value associated with the token; and de-concatenating the value associated with the token from the decrypted first data instance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The security management entity of claim 1, wherein the stored at least one key is a plurality of stored key parts different from the transmitted respective key parts. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The security management entity of claim 5, wherein a quantity of the stored plurality of key parts equals a quantity of the plurality of trusted entities. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The security management entity of claim 1, wherein the threshold cryptography is configured for a (k, n) schema where k key parts out of n key parts are used to reconstruct the cryptographic key where n is equal to a sum of a quantity of trusted entities and a quantity of the stored at least one key part. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The security management entity of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit the deanonymize first data instance to the first trusted entity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The security management entity of claim 1, wherein the message from the first trusted entity of the plurality of trusted entities for investigating the first data instance is associated with an occurrence of at least one predefined security event. ### Claim 10 A method for a security management entity for communication with a plurality of trusted entities, the method comprising: splitting a cryptographic key into a plurality of key parts where a threshold number of key parts are combinable to reconstruct the cryptographic key according to threshold cryptography; anonymizing at least a first data instance at least in part by using the key with threshold cryptography; transmitting a respective key part of the plurality of key parts to each one of the plurality of trusted entities; storing at least one key part of the plurality of key parts, the stored at least one key part being different from the transmitted respective key parts; receiving a message from a first trusted entity of the plurality of trusted entities for investigating the anonymized first data instance, the message including one of the transmitted respective key parts associated with the first trusted entity; and deanonymizing the first data instance using the cryptographic key that is reconstructed using the stored at least one key part and the one of the transmitted respective key parts associated with the first trusted entity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the anonymizing includes: concatenating each of a plurality of data instances with a respective token; and anonymizing each concatenation of the data instance with the respective token using the cryptographic key with threshold cryptography, the plurality of data instances including the first data instance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the anonymizing includes adding a token to the first data instance and encrypting both the first data instance and the token, the token being specific to the first data instance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the deanonymization of the first data instance includes: decrypting a subset of a plurality of data instances having a same attribute type as the first data instance, the subset including the first data instance; filtering the subset based on a value associated with the attribute type; retrieving a value associated with the token; and de-concatenating the value associated with the token from the decrypted first data instance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the stored at least one key is a plurality of stored key parts different from the transmitted respective key parts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein a quantity of the stored plurality of key parts equals a quantity of the plurality of trusted entities. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the threshold cryptography is configured for a (k, n) schema where k key parts out of n key parts are used to reconstruct the cryptographic key where n is equal to a sum of a quantity of trusted entities and a quantity of the stored at least one key part. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the deanonymize first data instance to the first trusted entity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the message from the first trusted entity of the plurality of trusted entities for investigating the first data instance is associated with an occurrence of at least one predefined security event. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to: split a cryptographic key into a plurality of key parts where a threshold number of key parts are combinable to reconstruct the cryptographic key according to threshold cryptography; anonymize at least a first data instance at least in part by using the key with threshold cryptography; transmit a respective key part of the plurality of key parts to each one of a plurality of trusted entities; store at least one key part of the plurality of key parts, the stored at least one key part being different from the transmitted respective key parts; receive a message from a first trusted entity of the plurality of trusted entities for investigating the anonymized first data instance, the message including one of the transmitted respective key parts associated with the first trusted entity; and deanonymize the first data instance using the cryptographic key that is reconstructed using the stored at least one key part and the one of the transmitted respective key parts associated with the first trusted entity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the anonymizing includes adding a token to the first data instance and encrypting both the first data instance and the token, the token being specific to the first data instance; and the deanonymization of the first data instance includes: decrypting a subset of a plurality of data instances having a same attribute type as the first data instance, the subset including the first data instance; filtering the subset based on a value associated with the attribute type; retrieving a value associated with the token; and de-concatenating the value associated with the token from the decrypted first data instance.