Patent ID: 8082452

Claim:
A method for protecting sensitive data associations within a database, comprising: (a) receiving a set of related data values, the set of related data values including at least a first unencrypted data value and a second unencrypted data value; (b) associating: (i) the first unencrypted data value to a first data field; and (ii) the second unencrypted data value to a second data field; (c) creating first encrypted data by encrypting the first unencrypted data value using a first encryption key; (d) creating second encrypted data by encrypting the second unencrypted data value using a second encryption key; and (e) a computer processor storing: (i) the first unencrypted data value in a first data table; (ii) the second unencrypted data value in a second data table; (iii) the first encrypted data in the second data table; and (iv) the second encrypted data in the first data table; and wherein: a rule indicates that the association of the first unencrypted data value and the second unencrypted data value is secret; and said database includes said first data table and said second data table.