Patent ID: 7200757
Filing Date: 2007-04-03
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for ensuring confidentiality of variables in a dataset having at least one confidential attribute or variable, comprising: separating the dataset into at least one non-masked confidential attribute and at least one non-confidential attribute; normalizing the dataset into a multivariate normal distribution; calculating a masked confidential attribute comprising a normalized perturbed value for the confidential attribute derived from a conditional distribution of the confidential and non-confidential attribute; and creating a masked dataset comprising the masked confidential attribute wherein a relationship of the masked confidential attribute to the non-confidential attribute is substantially the same as the relationship of the non-confidential attribute to the confidential attribute from which the masked confidential attribute was derived; and sorting the masked dataset by a predetermined parameter; and independently sorting the unmasked confidential attribute by the predetermined parameter; and replacing the stored masked confidential attribute in the sorted masked dataset with the sorted non-masked confidential attribute.