Cleaning sensitive data from a diagnostic-ready clean copy

A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by an application, a request to copy application data of the application, where the application data includes sensitive data generated by the application. The application identifies each instance of the sensitive data in the application data. The application generates a clean copy of the application data, where generating the clean copy includes removing each instance of the sensitive data from the application data. The clean copy is returned responsive to the request to copy the application data.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to computer diagnostics and, more specifically, to cleaning sensitive data from a diagnostic-ready clean copy.

Security organizations and customers are becoming more concerned with the security of customer data. For example, the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires strict controls over users' personally identifiable information (PII), so as to enable users themselves to direct how their PII is used.

Often, when trouble-shooting a problem associated with a computer application, a data dump is generated and included in problem documentation. The problem documentation, including the data dump, is used by service personnel to recreate and thus evaluate the problem. Data dumps are likely to contain PII, such as usernames and passwords, even though the PII is likely not of interest to the service personnel. As a result, due to GDPR as well as other security standards, the entire problem documentation may need to be classified as PII. This changes the operations that can be performed on the problem documentation, because privacy must be preserved.

For example, Network Configuration Assistant is a web application that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for generating configuration files for z/OS Communications Server. Using the Network Configuration Assistant as a tool, a user describes his or her desired configuration using wizards and panels, and the tool stores the created configuration in a file that uses a proprietary format. This file is referred to as a backing store. When the customer is ready to install a configuration, the Network Configuration Assistant generates configuration files for z/OS Communications Server. Following are two examples of how sensitive information can get into the backing store:

As part of configuration installation, Network Configuration Assistant can store the generated MVS configuration files on a local computer system, or Network Configuration Assistant can transmit the files to a remote system, such as through file transfer protocol (FTP). To support this FTP capability, Network Configuration Assistant can store FTP login information in the backing store.

With the Network Configuration Assistant, a user can create a certificate-revocation checking rule, which describes how to check whether security certificates have been revoked. For example, the user can request that security certificates be checked against a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) database. For such a certificate-revocation checking rule to be valid, however, login information for access the LDAP database must be specified. This login information is stored in the backing store as part of the certificate-revocation checking rule.

When a customer reports a problem with the Network Configuration Assistant tool, an efficient method of diagnosing the problem is for the customer to send his or her backing store to service personnel. This allows the service personnel to load the customer's configuration and recreate the issue locally, where debuggers and other development tools can be used to help identify a source of the problem. However, the backing store may include PII, such as the login information in the above examples.

To address the inclusion of PII in problem documentation, for Network Configuration Assistant as well as other software, a service agent may utilize a secure vault. Problem documentation containing PII is stored in the vault, where it can be isolated to comply with standards for the use of PII.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer-implemented method for generating a clean copy. A non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes receiving, by an application, a request to copy application data of the application, where the application data includes sensitive data generated by the application. The application identifies each instance of the sensitive data in the application data. The application generates a clean copy of the application data, where generating the clean copy includes removing each instance of the sensitive data from the application data. The clean copy is returned responsive to the request to copy the application data.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system for generating a clean copy. A non-limiting example of the system includes a memory having computer-readable instructions and one or more processors for executing the computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions include receiving, by an application, a request to copy application data of the application, where the application data includes sensitive data generated by the application. Further according to the computer-readable instructions, the application identifies each instance of the sensitive data in the application data. The application generates a clean copy of the application data, where generating the clean copy includes removing each instance of the sensitive data from the application data. The clean copy is returned responsive to the request to copy the application data.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a computer-program product for generating a clean copy, the computer-program product including a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method. A non-limiting example of the method includes receiving, by an application, a request to copy application data of the application, where the application data includes sensitive data generated by the application. Further according to the method, the application identifies each instance of the sensitive data in the application data. The application generates a clean copy of the application data, where generating the clean copy includes removing each instance of the sensitive data from the application data. The clean copy is returned responsive to the request to copy the application data.

In the accompanying figures and following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments, the various elements illustrated in the figures are provided with two- or three-digit reference numbers. With minor exceptions, the leftmost digit(s) of each reference number correspond to the figure in which its element is first illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to an overview of technologies that are more specifically relevant to aspects of the invention, using a secure vault to isolate problem documentation that includes PII is effective for maintaining that PII in a secure manner. However, use of such a vault creates inefficiencies, because data in the vault can be accessed and used only from within the vault. Thus, recreation of any problems through the use of problem documentation must occur in the vault. In some cases, however, the service tools needed for recreation are not available in the vault, which can make problem recreation difficult or impossible. Use of the vault therefore makes it cumbersome and challenging to debug problems, degrading efficiency in servicing field problems.

Turning now to an overview of the aspects of the invention, one or more embodiments of the invention address the above-described shortcomings of the prior art by providing a mechanism for an application to identify its own sensitive data, such as PII, and exclude it from a clean copy, which may be a data dump, backing store, or other form of copy. Because the application understands its own data, the application itself can identify sensitive data. Further, because the application knows the required format of its own data, the application can obfuscate the sensitive data while maintaining a valid format, or syntax. Thus, when the resulting clean copy is used for diagnostic purposes, the clean copy will still read as valid, thus enabling issues to be recreated without spurious errors thrown due to invalid data due to the removal of the sensitive data.

The above-described aspects of the invention address the shortcomings of the prior art by enabling a software application to clean its own application data that includes sensitive data. By performing this task at the application level, rather than at the level of the operating system, the type and form of data is known, thus enabling proper masking according to some embodiments of the invention. Thus, customers and security regulators can be confident that the clean copy, such as a backing store, is clean of PII or other sensitive data. The clean copy may thus be used for diagnostic purposes outside of a secure vault.

Turning now to a more detailed description of aspects of the present invention,FIG. 1is a diagram of a clean-copy system100according to some embodiments of the invention. As shown, the clean-copy system100may be incorporated into a software application110. The clean-copy system100may copy at least a portion of the application data120of the application110, where the application data120includes sensitive data130, such that the sensitive data130may be excluded during the copying. This sensitive data130may include PII or other data deemed by the user or by the application110to be sensitive. The clean-copy system100may thus generate a clean copy140, which may be a modified copy of at least a portion of the application data120.

Through its operation, the application110may generate and use the application data120, which may be stored on a computer system300(FIG. 3) on which the application110runs. The application data120may be saved in a proprietary format recognized by the application110, but not necessarily recognized by other applications or by an operating system311(FIG. 3) of the computer system300. For example, and not by way of limitation, a backing store may be considered application data120. Typically, to properly store and use the application data120, an application110keeps track of the nature of the application data120, such as the type and format of various pieces of data within the application data120. The application data120may be stored in a proprietary format or in a format understood by other applications110. In either case, the application data120may include a set of fields and associated values, which may be understood by the application110.

Typically, the application110knows virtual addresses of the application data120, although the operating system311may be responsible for translating back and forth between the virtual addresses and physical addresses on the computer system300. It will be understood that the application data120may reside in local memory, on a hard drive, or in a combination of both places. Although the operating system311may be needed to find the physical addresses of the application data120, the operating system311may lack knowledge about the nature of the application data120. Thus, according to some embodiments of the invention, the application110is in the best position to clean sensitive data130from copies of its application data120, as described herein.

The application110may include an extractor150and a masking table160, which may be integrated into the extractor150. The masking table160may include information about each type of sensitive data130in the application data120. Specifically, the masking table160may include enough information about the sensitive data130in the application data120to enable masking of that sensitive data130. In some embodiments of the invention, before initial use, the masking table160is built so as to enable identification and masking of sensitive data130as described herein. For instance, for each field of the application data120that may include sensitive data130, the masking table160may include, for example, an identifier of the field and a format representation of the field. In some embodiments of the invention, the format representation may be a masked version, or obfuscated version, of valid data in the field, complying with any format guidelines with which the sensitive data130potentially in that field must comply. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the masking table160may take various forms, such as a file, a database table, a decision tree, or a series of if-then conditions incorporated into the application's program code, for example. The extractor150and the masking table160may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. For instance, these components may be implemented as a software module or a specialized hardware device.

When a clean copy140is requested, the extractor150may extract the application data120needed for the clean copy140and may replace each instance of sensitive data130with a masked version of the sensitive data130, where the masked version complies with any syntactic requirements (i.e., formatting requirements) with which the sensitive data130must comply. Thus, according to some embodiments of the invention, the clean-copy system100is capable of generating a clean copy140that has been cleaned of sensitive data130, while still retaining the original format of the sensitive data130that exists in the application data120utilized to make the clean copy140. In some embodiments of the invention, the clean copy140excludes sensitive data130, which may be masked or simply deleted in the clean copy140. In some embodiments of the invention, when a user configures copy settings, the user can specify whether the copy should be a clean copy140(i.e., excluding sensitive data130) and can specify whether such a clean copy140should have the sensitive data130masked or deleted. If the user does not require a clean copy140, then the application data120may be generated without modification of data values in the sensitive data130. If the user requests a clean copy140with sensitive data130deleted, then the extractor150may delete, or opt not to transfer to the clean copy140, each piece of sensitive data130when generating the clean copy140. If the user requests a clean copy140with sensitive data130masked, then the extractor150may replace each piece of sensitive data130with a masked version of the sensitive data130when generating the clean copy140.

However, if the user requests selective masking, then some instances of the sensitive data130may be masked while other instances are deleted. For example, and not by way of limitation, instances of the sensitive data130that do not have syntactic requirements may be deleted, while those with syntactic requirements may be replaced with corresponding masked versions. For another example, instances of the sensitive data130whose fields are known to be inessential to providing a valid syntax to the clean copy140as a whole may be deleted, while other instances of the sensitive data130may be masked.

FIG. 2is a flow diagram of a method200of cleaning sensitive data130to generate a diagnostic-ready clean copy140, according to some embodiments of the invention. At block205, the masking table160may be established. At block210, the clean-copy system100may receive a request to generate a clean copy140of all or a portion of the application data120of the application110. The requested clean copy140may take various forms, such as, for example, a backing store, a data dump, or some other a full or partial collection of files known to the application110. For example, and not by way of limitation, the clean copy140may be a modified copy of a backing store, where the clean copy140is generated for diagnostic purposes.

At decision block215, it may be determined whether the request is associated with an indication to remove, or hide, sensitive data130in the application data120. For instance, in some embodiments of this invention, an option may be presented to the user during a process of requesting or configuring the clean copy140. This option may appear, for example, in copy configuration settings, in application110configuration settings, or on a file management page.

If the request is not associated with an indication that sensitive data130should be removed, then at block220, a copy of the application data120may be generated without cleaning the sensitive data130. Thus, this task may bypass use of the masking table160. For example, and not by way of limitation, the extractor150may generate the clean copy140based on the application data120, such as by copying at least a portion of the application data120to the clean copy140. If the clean copy140is for diagnostic purposes, then the clean copy140may be incorporated into problem documentation for service.

If the request for a copy of the application data120includes an indication that the sensitive data130should be removed, then at decision block225, it may be determined whether deletion or masking, or a combination of both, should be performed to remove the sensitive data130. This determination may be made in various ways. For example, in some embodiments of the invention, only masking is available, and thus masking will be performed rather than deletion. For another example, either masking or deletion may be the default operation for removing sensitive data130, and that default operation may be performed unless an alternative is indicated by the user. For another example, the request may be associated with an indication of whether to delete or mask the sensitive data130. For example, and not by way of limitation, the application110may present to the user a set of options, including the option to delete, mask, or selectively mask the sensitive data130, and the user may select one of such options. In that case, the selected option may be performed.

If the sensitive data130is to be deleted, then at block230, the sensitive data130may be deleted from the copy of the application data120that forms the clean copy140. In this case, when generating the clean copy140, the extractor150may refer to the masking table160. As discussed above, the masking table160may maintain an identifier of each field that may contain sensitive data130. As such, the extractor150of the clean-copy system100may be enabled to recognize each instance of sensitive data130, such as by checking field identifiers, while generating the clean copy140. Each time an instance of sensitive data130is encountered in the application data120, the sensitive data130may be deleted, such as by skipping the instance of the sensitive data130when generating the clean copy140. This act of deleting may be performed as the application data120is being copied, or it may be performed after an initial copy is made, by making a pass through the copy to locate and delete each instance of sensitive data130. If the clean copy140is for diagnostic purposes, then the clean copy140may be included in problem documentation for service.

If the sensitive data130is to be masked, or obfuscated, then the sensitive data130in the application data120may be masked in the clean copy140, at block235. In this case, when generating the clean copy140, the extractor150may refer to the masking table160. As discussed above, the masking table160may maintain an identifier of each field that may contain sensitive data130. As such, the extractor150of the clean-copy system100may be enabled to recognize each instance of sensitive data130while generating the clean copy140. Each time an instance of sensitive data130is encountered in the application data120, the sensitive data130may be masked. To mask the sensitive data130, each instance of the sensitive data130may be replaced by a respective masked version that meets the required format of that instance of the sensitive data130.

As discussed above, the masking table160may maintain information about the format of each field containing sensitive data130. In some embodiments of the invention, the masking table160maintains a masked version of each field that may contain sensitive data130, where the masked version matches the required format of the respective field. In that case, each instance of the sensitive data130may be replaced in the clean copy140with the respective masked version corresponding to the field of the instance. For example, if a first instance of the application data120is recognized as being in a LDAP_Password field, then a masked version of this first instance may be the masked version associated with the LDAP_Password field. Alternatively, for example, each such masked version may be generated during the process of generating the clean copy140, to comply with the format required for the respective instance of the sensitive data130. For another example, after the first instance of the application data120is recognized as being in the LDAP_Password field, then a masked version of this first instance may be generated to comply with the format associated with the LDAP_Password field. In other words, for each instance of sensitive data130in the application data120to included in the clean copy140, that instance may be replaced by a masked version (e.g., a dummy version including non-sensitive data) that is syntactically correct and would thus be deemed to have valid format, despite having an invalid value. As such, if the clean copy140is used for diagnostic purposes, errors stemming from data that does not meet expected requirements can be avoided. This act of replacing instances of the sensitive data130may be performed as the application data120is being copied, or it may be performed after an initial copy is made, by making a pass through the copy to locate and replace the sensitive data130. If the clean copy140is for diagnostic purposes, then the clean copy140may be included in problem documentation for service.

Thus, in some embodiments of the invention, the clean-copy system100generates clean copy140that can be used for diagnostic purposes, or other purposes, by retaining the syntax of sensitive data130without retaining the sensitive data130itself in the clean copy140. In some embodiments of the invention, the clean-copy system100is integrated with, or in communication with, an application110rather than integrated with an operating system311over which the application110runs. In this manner, the clean-copy system100may utilize the application's knowledge of the nature of application data120. In contrast, an operating system311need not know the nature of the application data120.

FIG. 3is a block diagram of a computer system300for implementing some or all aspects of the clean-copy system100, according to some embodiments of this invention. The clean-copy systems100and methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software (e.g., firmware), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the methods described may be implemented, at least in part, in hardware and may be part of the microprocessor of a special or general-purpose computer system300, such as a personal computer, workstation, minicomputer, or mainframe computer.

In some embodiments, as shown inFIG. 3, the computer system300includes a processor305, memory310coupled to a memory controller315, and one or more input devices345and/or output devices340, such as peripherals, that are communicatively coupled via a local I/O controller335. These devices340and345may include, for example, a printer, a scanner, a microphone, and the like. Input devices such as a conventional keyboard350and mouse355may be coupled to the I/O controller335. The I/O controller335may be, for example, one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections, as are known in the art. The I/O controller335may have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, to enable communications.

The processor305is a hardware device for executing hardware instructions or software, particularly those stored in memory310. The processor305may be a custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the computer system300, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), a macroprocessor, or other device for executing instructions. The processor305includes a cache370, which may include, but is not limited to, an instruction cache to speed up executable instruction fetch, a data cache to speed up data fetch and store, and a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) used to speed up virtual-to-physical address translation for both executable instructions and data. The cache370may be organized as a hierarchy of more cache levels (L1, L2, etc.).

The memory310may include one or combinations of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory, RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), tape, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), disk, diskette, cartridge, cassette or the like, etc.). Moreover, the memory310may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, or other types of storage media. Note that the memory310may have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remote from one another but may be accessed by the processor305.

The instructions in memory310may include one or more separate programs, each of which comprises an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. In the example ofFIG. 3, the instructions in the memory310include a suitable operating system (OS)311. The operating system311essentially may control the execution of other computer programs and provides scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services.

Additional data, including, for example, instructions for the processor305or other retrievable information, may be stored in storage320, which may be a storage device such as a hard disk drive or solid-state drive. The stored instructions in memory310or in storage320may include those enabling the processor to execute one or more aspects of the clean-copy systems100and methods of this disclosure.

The computer system300may further include a display controller325coupled to a display330. In some embodiments, the computer system300may further include a network interface360for coupling to a network365. The network365may be an IP-based network for communication between the computer system300and an external server, client and the like via a broadband connection. The network365transmits and receives data between the computer system300and external systems. In some embodiments, the network365may be a managed IP network administered by a service provider. The network365may be implemented in a wireless fashion, e.g., using wireless protocols and technologies, such as WiFi, WiMax, etc. The network365may also be a packet-switched network such as a local area network, wide area network, metropolitan area network, the Internet, or other similar type of network environment. The network365may be a fixed wireless network, a wireless local area network (LAN), a wireless wide area network (WAN) a personal area network (PAN), a virtual private network (VPN), intranet or other suitable network system and may include equipment for receiving and transmitting signals.

Clean-copy systems100and methods according to this disclosure may be embodied, in whole or in part, in computer program products or in computer systems300, such as that illustrated inFIG. 3.