Method and apparatus for securing the privacy of sensitive information in a data-handling system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsStephen Crane, Richard Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A data-handling system (20) is arranged to scan through data it holds for instances of sensitive information as identified by reference (35) to a set of sensitive-information identifiers held by the system. Each identifier identifies one or more items of sensitive information (25) and is so formed or protected as to not reveal any such item. Following an instance of sensitive information being found by the scan, it is replaced by a reference to an instance of the corresponding sensitive-information item (25) held in protected storage (21). As a result, in due course the only instances of, sensitive information held by the system (20) will be those in the protected storage (21).
Claims23
A method of securing the privacy of sensitive information in a data-handling system, comprising:
- using the data-handling system to search through data it holds for instances of sensitive information as identified by reference to at least one sensitive-information identifier held by the system, the or each identifier identifying one or more items of sensitive information and being so formed or protected as to not reveal any such item;
- and
- following an instance of sensitive information being found by the search, replacing it with a reference to an instance of the item of sensitive information concerned that is held in protected storage of the data-handling system.
Data-handling apparatus comprising:
- a data storage arrangement comprising unprotected storage and protected storage, the data storage arrangement being arranged to hold at least one sensitive-information identifier identifying one or more items of sensitive information and so formed or protected as to not reveal any such item;
- a scanning arrangement for searching through data in the unprotected storage for instances of sensitive information as identified by said at least one sensitive-information identifier;
- and
- a privacy-secural arrangement arranged, following an instance of sensitive information being found by the scanning arrangement, to replace it with a reference to an instance of the item of sensitive information concerned that is held in said protected storage.
A computer program product for conditioning a data-handling system to carry out operations of:
- searching through data held by the data-handling system for instances of sensitive information as identified by reference to at least one sensitive-information identifier held by the system, the or each identifier identifying one or more items of sensitive information and being so formed or protected as to not reveal any such item;
- and
- following an instance of sensitive information being found by the search, replacing it with a reference to an instance of the item of sensitive information concerned that is held in protected storage of the data-handling system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.