Patent ID: 8578176
Filing Date: 2013-11-05
Classification: G06F,G06Q,G07F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for secure handling of sensitive sets of characters in a distributed hierarchical system comprising at least one local server on a lower hierarchic level and at least one central server at a higher hierarchic level, the method comprising: receiving a sensitive set of characters at the local server; replacing a portion of the sensitive set of characters with a token from a token table that maps at least two token values to each possible combination of digits of the portion of the sensitive set of characters to form a tokenized set of characters, wherein the token is chosen randomly from between the at least two token values, and wherein the token belongs to a subset of possible tokens assigned to the local server by the central server; transferring at least one of the sensitive set of characters and the tokenized set of characters to the central server; deleting the sensitive set of characters from the local server within a predetermined amount of time from the transferring; and storing the tokenized set of characters in a local database connected to the local server.