METHOD OF OBFUSCATING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DATA IN DATABASE TABLES

• US 20150135327A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symcor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Symcor Incorporated
• Inventors: Wall, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,515,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification

Abstract

Relationships between data in database tables are obfuscated. An input data set is divided into two database tables with corresponding rows. A key field if created in a second one of the tables, and for each row, the field is populated with a valve generated with a one-way function, using a unique valve associated with the corresponding row of the first one of the tables as an input. The two tables are stored in a data store, so that the data in corresponding rows may be associated only with access to the one way function, and the unique valve associated with a row of the first table.

Claims

1. A method of obfuscating a relationship between data in database tables, said method comprising:

dividing an input data set into first and second tables of a database, wherein each row of said second table corresponds to a row of said first table;

creating a key field in said second table;

for each row of said second table, populating said key field with a value generated by a one-way function, wherein a unique value associated with the corresponding row in the first table is used as an input to said one-way function;

storing said first and second tables in a data store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said input data set comprises a plurality of images, and wherein said dividing comprises, for each one of said plurality of images:

creating an image snippet comprising a copy of a first region of said one of said images;

storing said image snippet and storing an identifier of said image snippet in said second table;

creating a filtered image comprising a copy of a second region of said one of said images; and

storing said filtered image and storing an identifier of said filtered image in said first table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating said filtered image comprises creating a copy of said one of said images and rendering said first region in said copy unreadable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said input data set comprises an input database table comprising a plurality of fields, and wherein said dividing comprises dividing said fields between said first and second tables.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating said unique value by applying a function to data associated with said first table.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said unique value comprises a UUID of an image identified in said corresponding row of said first table.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a salt from a database, and wherein said salt is used as an input to said one-way function.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said one-way function is a deterministic, non-colliding function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said one-way function is a hash function.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein data contained in said first and second tables is stored unencrypted.

19. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A method of retrieving data stored in database tables, said method comprising:

retrieving a first database table from a data store;

selecting a row of said first database table;

determining an encoded identifier corresponding to said selected row by applying a one-way function to a unique value associated with the selected row;

retrieving a corresponding row of a second database table from a data store, wherein said corresponding row contains said encoded identifier; and

combining data from said selected row of said first database table with data from said corresponding row of said second database table.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said data from said selected row of said first database table comprises a first portion of an original image and said data from said corresponding row of said second database table comprises a second portion of said original image, and said combining comprises combining said first and second portions to form said original image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first portion has a region corresponding to said second portion, the data of said region rendered unreadable, and wherein said combining comprises replacing said unreadable data with said second portion.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating said unique value by applying a function to data associated with said first database table.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said unique value comprises a UUID of an image identified in said selected row of said first table.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a salt to said one-way function to determine said encoded identifier.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said one-way function is a deterministic, non-colliding function.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said one-way function is a hash function.

20. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of claim 11.

21. A computing device for storing information in a database, said computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

an input/output device in communication with said at least one processor;

memory in communication with said at least one processor;

software code stored in said memory, which, when executed by said at least one processor, causes said computing device to;

read an input data set from said input/output device;

divide said input data set into first and second tables of a database, wherein each row of said second table corresponds to a row of said first table;

create a key field in said second table;

for each row of said second table, populate said key field with a value generated by a one way function, wherein a unique value associated with the corresponding row of said first table is used as an input to said one-way function;

store said first and second database tables in an interconnected data store.

22. A computing device for storing information in a database, said computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

an input/output device in communication with said at least one processor;

memory in communication with said at least one processor;

software code stored in said memory, which, when executed by said at least one processor, causes said computing device to;

retrieve a first database table from a data store using said input/output device;

select a row of said first database table;

apply a one-way function to a unique value associated with the selected row to determine an encoded identifier corresponding to said selected row;

retrieve a corresponding row of a second database table from said data store, wherein said corresponding row contains said encoded identifier;

combine data from said selected row of said first database table with data from said corresponding row of said second database table.