Dissolvable protection of candidate sensitive data items

A computing system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more computer-readable media accessible to the one or more processors, the computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing system to perform at least the following:
• classify a candidate sensitive data item as having an unknown sensitivity, the unknown sensitivity classification comprising a sensitivity classification that is to be determined as either sensitive or non-sensitive by an authorized user upon access of the candidate sensitive data item by the authorized user;
• based at least on the candidate data item being classified as having an unknown sensitivity, apply dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, applying the dissolvable encryption comprising using a dissolvable encryption container to encrypt the candidate data item such that upon decryption of the candidate data item by the authorized user, the candidate data item is extractable from the dissolvable encryption container by the authorized user;
• and
• subsequent to applying the dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, receive a user-specified indication of whether the candidate data item is sensitive or non-sensitive, including:
• detecting a request from a user to access the candidate data item;
• detecting that the user is authorized to define sensitivity of the candidate data item;
• and
• in response to the request, and further in response to detecting that the user is authorized, allowing the user to direct whether the candidate data item is sensitive and is therefore to be concretely encrypted with non-dissolvable encryption, or whether the candidate data item is non-sensitive such that the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item is to be dissolved;
• and based at least on the user-specified indication, perform one of the following:
• based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is sensitive, concretely encrypting the candidate data item with non-dissolvable encryption, including applying a non-dissolvable encryption container to the candidate data item that denies permission for a user to extract the candidate data item from the non-dissolvable encryption container, even if the candidate data item has been decrypted;
• or
• based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is non-sensitive, dissolving the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item, resulting in an unprotected data item which is classified as not sensitive.

A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computing system to cause the computing system to perform at least the following:

• classify a candidate sensitive data item as having an unknown sensitivity, the unknown sensitivity classification comprising a sensitivity classification that is to be determined as either sensitive or non-sensitive by an authorized user upon access of the candidate sensitive data item by the authorized user;
• based at least on the candidate data item being classified as having an unknown sensitivity, apply dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, applying the dissolvable encryption comprising using a dissolvable encryption container to encrypt the candidate data item such that upon decryption of the candidate data item by the authorized user, the candidate data item is extractable from the dissolvable encryption container by the authorized user;
• and
• subsequent to applying the dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, receive a user-specified indication of whether the candidate data item is sensitive or non-sensitive, including:
• detecting a request from a user to access the candidate data item;
• detecting that the user is authorized to define sensitivity of the candidate data item;
• and
• in response to the request, and further in response to detecting that the user is authorized, allowing the user to direct whether the candidate data item is sensitive and is therefore to be concretely encrypted with non-dissolvable encryption, or whether the candidate data item is non-sensitive such that the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item is to be dissolved;
• and based at least on the user-specified indication, perform one of the following:
• based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is sensitive, concretely encrypting the candidate data item with non-dissolvable encryption, including applying a non-dissolvable encryption container to the candidate data item that denies permission for a user to extract the candidate data item from the non-dissolvable encryption container, even if the candidate data item has been decrypted;
• or
• based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is non-sensitive, dissolving the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item, resulting in an unprotected data item which is classified as not sensitive.
• as not sensitive.