Providing consistent data masking using causal ordering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11200218-B2
Application number	US-201916386586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2019
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments for performing consistent data masking in a distributed computing environment by a processor. A dictionary based data masking operation is performed on one or more datasets with causal ordering of the one or more datasets to enable reconstruction of a state of the one or more dictionaries for the one or more datasets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, by a processor, for performing consistent data masking in a distributed computing environment, comprising:
performing a dictionary based data masking operation on one or more datasets with causal ordering of the one or more datasets to enable reconstruction of a state of one or more dictionaries for the one or more datasets; and
maintaining the state of the one or more dictionaries for the one or more datasets to facilitate the reconstruction, wherein maintaining the state includes maintaining, for each of the one or more datasets in the one or more dictionaries, a dictionary entry having an associated data masking value, each deletion of the dictionary entry of the one or more datasets, and the data masking value for each one of the one or more datasets indicating a time period of the data masking.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including reconstructing each state of the one or more dictionaries for each masked data value of the one or more datasets.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including reconstructing each state of the one or more dictionaries according to the dictionary entry in the one or more dictionaries along with the associated data masking value for each of the one or more datasets, each deletion of the dictionary entry of the one or more datasets, and the data masking value for each one of the one or more datasets indicating the time period of the data masking.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including storing each masked data value in the one or more dictionaries as a cryptographic hash function, wherein the one or more dictionaries are transaction ledgers.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including using a blockchain system for performing the dictionary based data masking operation on the one or more datasets with causal ordering of the one or more datasets.

6. A system for performing consistent data masking in a distributed computing environment, comprising:
one or more computers with executable instructions that when executed cause the system to:
perform a dictionary based data masking operation on one or more datasets with causal ordering of the one or more datasets to enable reconstruction of a state of one or more dictionaries for the one or more datasets; and
maintain the state of the one or more dictionaries for the one or more datasets to facilitate the reconstruction, wherein maintaining the state includes maintaining, for each of the one or more datasets in the one or more dictionaries, a dictionary entry having an associated data masking value, each deletion of the dictionary entry of the one or more datasets, and the data masking value for each one of the one or more datasets indicating a time period of the data masking.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the executable instructions reconstruct each state of the one or more dictionaries for each masked data value of the one or more datasets.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the executable instructions reconstruct each state of the one or more dictionaries according to the dictionary entry in the one or more dictionaries along with the associated data masking value for each of the one or more datasets, each deletion of the dictionary entry of the one or more datasets, and the data masking value for each one of the one or more datasets indicating the time period of the data masking.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the executable instructions store each masked data value in the one or more dictionaries as a cryptographic hash function, wherein the one or more dictionaries are transaction ledgers.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the executable instruction use a blockchain system for performing the dictionary based data masking operation on the one or more datasets with causal ordering of the one or more datasets.

11. A computer program product for, by a processor, performing consistent data masking in a distributed computing environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
an executable portion that performs a dictionary based data masking operation on one or more datasets with causal ordering of the one or more datasets to enable reconstruction of a state of one or more dictionaries for the one or more datasets; and
an executable portion that maintains the state of the one or more dictionaries for the one or more datasets to facilitate the reconstruction, wherein maintaining the state includes maintaining, for each of the one or more datasets in the one or more dictionaries, a dictionary entry having an associated data masking value, each deletion of the dictionary entry of the one or more datasets, and the data masking value for each one of the one or more datasets indicating a time period of the data masking.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , further including an executable portion that maintains reconstruct each state of the one or more dictionaries for each masked data value of the one or more datasets.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , further including an executable portion that reconstructs each state of the one or more dictionaries according to the dictionary entry in the one or more dictionaries along with the associated data masking value for each of the one or more datasets, each deletion of the dictionary entry of the one or more datasets, and the data masking value for each one of the one or more datasets indicating the time period of the data masking.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , further including an executable portion that:
uses a blockchain system for performing the dictionary based data masking operation on the one or more datasets with causal ordering of the one or more datasets; and
stores each masked data value in the one or more dictionaries as a cryptographic hash function.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Antonatos Spyridon
• Braghin Stefano
• Holohan Naoise
• Macaonghusa Pol

Classifications

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• G11C7/1009 Primary

  Data masking during input/output · CPC title

• G06F21/6218

  to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database · CPC title

• G06F16/2228

  Indexing structures · CPC title

• G06F16/2272

  Management thereof · CPC title