Patent ID: 9202078
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for anonymizing data from multiple data sources, the data sources comprising record identifiers identifying entities associated with the data, the record identifiers only being stored by the data sources, the data being collected by a central data aggregation module connected to the data sources, said method comprising: receiving a record identifier from a first data source, the record identifier being received by an anonymization engine; generating a first anonymous identifier to replace the record identifier with the anonymization engine, the first anonymous identifier being generated using a salt and a key; searching a key-hash bucket for the first anonymous identifier to determine whether the anonymization engine has anonymized the record identifier before, the key-hash bucket including: sending the first anonymous identifier to the first data source when it is determined that the anonymization engine has anonymized the record identifier before; generating new anonymous identifiers with the anonymization engine when it is determined that the anonymization engine has not anonymized the record identifier before, the new anonymous identifiers being generated using key-salt combinations used previously by the anonymization engine; creating an equivalent hashes table for the record identifier, the equivalent hashes table including the first anonymous identifier and the new anonymous identifiers; sending the equivalent hashes table, the first anonymous identifier and first data associated with the first anonymous identifier to the data aggregation module; receiving the record identifier from a second data source, the record identifier being received by the anonymization engine; generating a second anonymous identifier to replace the record identifier with the anonymization engine, the second anonymous identifier being generated using a second salt and a second key, wherein both the first anonymous identifier and the second anonymous identifier are linked to the record identifier; searching a second key-hash bucket for the second anonymous identifier, the second key-hash bucket including: sending the second anonymous identifier to the second data source when the second anonymous identifier is found in the second key-hash bucket; generating second new anonymous identifiers with the anonymization engine when the second anonymous identifier is not found in the second key-hash bucket, the second new anonymous identifiers being generated using key-salt combinations used previously by the anonymization engine; creating a second equivalent hashes table for the record identifier, the second equivalent hashes table including the second anonymous identifier and the second new anonymous identifiers; and sending the second equivalent hashes table, the second anonymous identifier and second data associated with the second anonymous identifier to the data aggregation module.