8.11 Data Masking

Data masking should be used in accordance with the organisation’s topic-specific policy on access control and other related topic-specific policies, and business requirements, taking applicable legislation into consideration.

Data masking is a technique used in information security to protect sensitive data by obscuring or replacing the original data with fictitious but realistic data. This can be done to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information, such as personal data or financial information, while still allowing the data to be used for testing, development, or other purposes. Data masking can be applied to various types of data, including text, numbers, and dates, and can be done using a variety of methods, such as encryption, substitution, and redaction.

There are several ways to implement data masking in information security, depending on the specific needs and requirements of the organisation. Here are a few examples:

• Random Substitution: This method involves replacing sensitive data with random characters, numbers, or symbols. This can be done using a pre-defined algorithm or a random number generator.
• Format-Preserving Encryption: This method uses encryption to protect sensitive data while preserving the original data format. This is useful for data that needs to be used in systems or applications that have specific format requirements, such as credit card numbers or social security numbers.
• Tokenization: This method replaces sensitive data with a unique token or placeholder. The original data can be retrieved using a tokenization server or database, but the data is not in plaintext.
• Masking: This method involves replacing sensitive data with fictitious but realistic data, such as replacing a real name with a fictional name. This can be done using pre-defined algorithms or custom scripts.
• Redaction: This method physically removes sensitive data from the document, or black out sensitive information on the document.
It is important to note that these methods can be used together, or in combination with other security measures, such as access controls and monitoring, to provide a comprehensive approach to data protection.