Anonymizing a file for diagnosis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10762240-B2
Application number	US-201816108606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Aug 22, 2018
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products are provided for anonymizing a data set having an index component and a data component. In certain embodiments, the apparatuses, methods and computer program products make a copy of the data set, removes personal information from the data component, modifies an index component key value with a random value, modifies a data component key value with the same random value, and maintains a data set structure of the index component and the data component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
a computer-readable storage media storing code executable by the processor to perform the steps of:
making a copy of a data set having an index component and a data component that define a data structure;
removing personal information from the data component other than a data component key value;
modifying an index component key value with a random value, and modifying the data component key value with the same random value; and
maintaining, in response to the modifying, the data set structure of the index component and the data component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the steps further comprise analyzing the index component and identifying a maximum key value of a set of index component key values.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , where analyzing the index component further comprises identifying a maximum possible index component key value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , where analyzing the index component further comprises determining if modifying the index component key value with the random value results in a new index component key value that is larger than the maximum possible index component key value.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , where analyzing the index component further comprises, in response to a determination that the new index component key value is larger than the maximum possible index component key value, modifying a key length of the index component.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , where removing personal information from the data component further comprises overwriting the personal information with zeroes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , where modifying the index component key value further comprises identifying if a modified index component key value contains a zero digit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , where identifying if a modified index component key value contains a zero digit further comprises generating a new, non-zero, random digit and replacing the zero digit with the new, non-zero, random digit.

9. A method for anonymizing an index component and a corresponding data component, the method comprising:
making, by use of a processor, a copy of a data set having an index component and a data component that define a data structure;
removing personal information from the data component other than a data component key value;
modifying an index component key value with a random value, and modifying the data component key value with the same random value; and
maintaining, in response to the modifying, the data set structure of the index component and the data component.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising analyzing the index component and identifying a maximum key value of a set of index component key values.

11. The method of claim 10 , where analyzing the index component further comprises identifying a maximum possible index component key value.

12. The method of claim 11 , where analyzing the index component further comprises determining if modifying the index component key value with the random value results in a new index component key value that is larger than the maximum possible index component key value.

13. The method of claim 12 , where analyzing the index component further comprises, in response to a determination that the new index component key value is larger than the maximum possible index component key value, modifying a key length of the index component.

14. The method of claim 9 , where removing personal information from the data component further comprises overwriting the personal information with zeroes.

15. The method of claim 9 , where modifying the index component key value further comprises identifying if a modified index component key value contains a zero digit.

16. The method of claim 15 , where identifying if a modified index component key value contains a zero digit further comprises generating a new, non-zero, random digit and replacing the zero digit with the new, non-zero, random digit.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable/executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform the steps of:
making a copy of a data set having an index component and a data component that define a data structure;
removing personal information from the data component other than a data component key value;
modifying an index component key value with a random value, and modifying the data component key value with the same random value; and
maintaining, in response to the modifying, the data set structure of the index component and the data component.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , where the steps further comprise analyzing the index component and identifying a maximum key value of a set of index component key values.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , where analyzing the index component further comprises identifying a maximum possible index component key value.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , where analyzing the index component further comprises determining if modifying the index component key value with the random value results in a new index component key value that is larger than the maximum possible index component key value.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Reed David C
• Smith Max D
• Chauvet Philip R
• Mccune Franklin E

Classifications

• G06F16/137

  Hash-based (content-based indexing of textual data G06F16/31) · CPC title

• G06F21/6254 Primary

  by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification · CPC title

• G06F7/588

  Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes · CPC title

• G06F16/901

  Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures (for retrieval from the web G06F16/951) · CPC title

• G06F16/122

  using management policies (point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185) · CPC title