Systems and methods for anonymizing personally identifiable information associated with epigenetic information

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual; and

obfuscating the personally identifying information.

2 - 40 . (canceled)

41 . A system comprising:

means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual; and

means for obfuscating the personally identifying information.

42 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual comprises:

means for receiving the epigenetic information in the form of a database.

43 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual comprises:

means for receiving a set amount of the epigenetic information for a plurality of individuals including at least the individual.

44 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual comprises:

means for receiving a first set of the epigenetic information associated with the personally identifying information; and

means for receiving a second set of the epigenetic information associated with the personally identifying information.

45 . The system of claim 44 , further comprising:

means for receiving a third set of the epigenetic information associated with the personally identifying information.

46 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual comprises:

means for receiving information including a cytosine methylation status of CpG positions.

47 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual comprises:

means for receiving information including a histone modification status.

48 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual comprises:

means for receiving the epigenetic information for a second individual.

49 . The system of claim 48 , wherein means for receiving the epigenetic information for a second individual comprises:

means for receiving the epigenetic information in the form of a database.

50 . The system of claim 48 , wherein means for receiving the epigenetic information for a second individual comprises:

means for receiving a set amount of epigenetic information for a plurality of individuals including at least the first individual and the second individual.

51 . The system of claim 48 , wherein means for receiving the epigenetic information for a second individual comprises:

means for receiving a first set of the epigenetic information associated with the personally identifying information; and

means for receiving a second set of the epigenetic information associated with the personally identifying information.

52 . The system of claim 51 , further comprising:

means for receiving a third set of the epigenetic information associated with the personally identifying information.

53 . The system of claim 48 , wherein means for receiving the epigenetic information for a second individual comprises:

means for receiving information including a cytosine methylation status of CpG positions.

54 . The system of claim 48 , wherein means for receiving the epigenetic information for a second individual comprises:

means for receiving information including a histone modification status.

55 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual comprises:

means for receiving the epigenetic information on a subscription basis.

56 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for obfuscating the personally identifying information comprises:

means for processing the personally identifying information.

57 . The system of claim 56 , wherein means for processing the personally identifying information comprises:

modifying at least one of a name, an address, a social security number, a telephone number, an ethnicity, a nationality, a genetic ID, an image, or an age.

58 . The system of claim 56 , wherein means for processing the personally identifying information comprises:

means for suppressing data cells containing at least one of epigenetic information or personally identifying information.

59 . The system of claim 56 , wherein means for processing the personally identifying information comprises:

means for binning at least one of the personally identifying information or the epigenetic information.

60 . The system of claim 59 , wherein means for binning at least one of the personally identifying information or the epigenetic information comprises:

means for establishing a bin identifier.

61 . The system of claim 59 , wherein means for binning at least one of the personally identifying information or the epigenetic information comprises:

means for transforming real data into categorical data, the categorical data including non-overlapping regions of a continuum.

62 . The system of claim 56 , wherein means for processing the personally identifying information comprises:

means for processing an algorithm.

63 . The system of claim 62 , wherein means for processing an algorithm comprises:

means for processing a k-anonymity algorithm.

64 . The system of claim 63 , wherein means for processing a k-anonymity algorithm comprises:

means for processing 1-diversity coupled with the k-anonymity algorithm.

65 . The system of claim 62 , wherein means for processing an algorithm comprises:

means for processing an Incognito algorithm.

66 . The system of claim 62 , wherein means for processing an algorithm comprises:

means for processing an ambiguation algorithm.

67 . The system of claim 41 wherein means for obfuscating the personally identifying information comprises:

means for generalizing at least a portion of the personally identifying information.

68 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for obfuscating the personally identifying information comprises:

means for removing at least a portion of the personally identifying information.

69 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for obfuscating the personally identifying information comprises:

means for substituting at least a portion of the personally identifying information.

70 . The system of claim 69 , wherein means for substituting at least a portion of the personally identifying information comprises:

means for integrating a pseudonym.

71 . The system of claim 69 , wherein means for substituting at least a portion of the personally identifying information comprises:

means for replacing personally identifying information with an anonymous identifier.

72 . The system of claim 41 , wherein means for obfuscating the personally identifying information comprises:

means for encrypting the personally identifying information.

73 . The system of claim 72 , wherein means for encrypting the personally identifying information comprises:

means for applying symmetric-key cryptography.

74 . The system of claim 73 , wherein means for applying symmetric-key cryptography comprises:

means for applying a block cipher.

75 . The system of claim 73 , wherein means for applying symmetric-key cryptography comprises:

means for applying a stream cipher.

76 . The system of claim 73 , wherein means for applying symmetric-key cryptography comprises:

means for applying a message authentication code.

77 . The system of claim 73 , wherein means for applying symmetric-key cryptography comprises:

means for applying a hash function.

78 . The system of claim 77 , wherein means for applying a hash function comprises:

means for applying a one-way hash function.

79 . The system of claim 77 , wherein means for applying a hash function comprises:

means for applying a collision-free hash function.

80 . The system of claim 72 , wherein means for encrypting the personally identifying information comprises:

means for applying public-key cryptography.

81 . A system comprising:

circuitry for receiving epigenetic information including personally identifying information and at least one epigenetic feature of interest associated with the personally identifying information for an individual; and

circuitry for obfuscating the personally identifying information.