Method and apparatus for securing the privacy of sensitive information in a data-handling system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsStephen James Crane, Richard James Smith
Life of this patent
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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 including program files, data files, and transient structures in unprotected storage for instances of sensitive information as identified by reference to at least one sensitive-information identifier held by the system, the or each identifier comprising a template indicative of a generic form possessed by multiple items of sensitive information, 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 the instance with a reference to an instance of the item of sensitive information concerned that is held in protected storage of the data-handling system, wherein
- in searching for instances of sensitive information, candidate instances are identified by reference to the template, and each candidate instance is checked against at least one said identifier to determine whether the candidate instance is an actual instance of sensitive information.
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 comprising a template indicative of a generic form possessed by multiple items of sensitive information, identifying one or more items of sensitive information, and being so formed or protected as to not reveal any such item;
- a scanning arrangement for searching through data including program files, data files, and transient structures in the unprotected storage for instances of sensitive information as identified using said at least one sensitive-information identifier, wherein the scanning arrangement is arranged to search for candidate instances of sensitive information that match the template indicative of a generic form possessed by one of more said items of sensitive information, the scanning arrangement being further arranged to check each candidate instance against at least one said identifier to determine whether the candidate instance is an actual instance of sensitive information;
- and
- a privacy-secural arrangement arranged, following an instance of sensitive information being found by the scanning arrangement, to replace the instance with a reference to an instance of the item of sensitive information concerned that is held in said protected storage.
A none-transitory computer readable medium containing a computer program that when executed in a data-handling system causes the data-handling system to carry out operations of:
- searching through data including program files, data files, and transient structures held in unprotected storage 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 comprising a template indicative of a generic form possessed by multiple items of sensitive information, identifying one or more items of sensitive information, and being so formed or protected as to not reveal any such item, wherein
- in searching for instances of sensitive information, candidate instances are identified by reference to the template, and each candidate instance is checked against at least one said identifier to determine whether the candidate instance is an actual instance of sensitive information;
- and
- following an instance of sensitive information being found by the search, replacing the instance 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.