System and method for securing personal data elements
A system and method may obtain a connection profile, the connection profile including at least one rule related to at least one PII data element; associate the connection profile with a network connection; receive a data unit transmitted over the network connection, the data unit including at least a portion of the PII data element; and, based on the rule, perform at least one of: blocking transmission of the data unit, modifying the data unit, forwarding at least a portion of the data unit to a selected destination, storing the data unit, storing metadata related to the data unit, and reporting an event related to the data unit. A system and method may associate the connection profile with a set of connection. A system and method may automatically modify a set of connection profiles based on an event.
1. A computer-implemented method of securing data elements, the method comprising:
by a computing device:
obtaining a connection profile, the connection profile including at least one rule related to at least one personally identifiable information (PII) data element;
associating the connection profile with a network connection;
receiving a data unit transmitted over the network connection from an external system, the data unit including at least a portion of the PII data element;
based on the rule, performing at least one of: blocking transmission of the data unit, modifying the data unit, forwarding at least a portion of the data unit to a selected destination, storing the data unit, storing metadata related to the data unit, and reporting an event related to the data unit;
storing metadata related to a transaction, from a protected system to the external system, of at least a portion of a PII data element included in the protected system; and presenting to a user a flow of PII between the protected system and the external system;
presenting to a user PII obtained by the external system;
receiving from a user indication of restricted PII;
preventing the restricted PII from being transferred to the external system;
storing metadata related to a transaction, from the external system to a second external system, of at least a portion of the PII data element; and
presenting to a user a flow of PII data across a plurality of external systems.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a PII data element includes at least one of: person-specific data, asset-specific data, personal data, contact info, customer demographics, financial info, purchase info, an opinion, a field of interest, a driving license, a social security number and an image.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising associating the connection profile with a set of connections.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising automatically modifying a set of connection profiles based on an event.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising graphically presenting a map of flows of data elements.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising associating a data element with a token and performing an action based on a token identified in the data unit.
7. The method of claim 1 , comprising modifying a data element in the data unit based on the connection profile.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a data element in the data unit includes un-structured data.
9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
obtaining a user profile, the user profile including at least one rule related to at least one data element;
associating the user profile with a set of network connections;
the data unit including a data element related to the user profile; and
based on the rule, related to at least one data element, performing at least one of: blocking transmission of the data unit, modifying the data unit, forwarding at least a portion of the data unit to a selected destination, storing the data unit, storing metadata related to the data unit, and reporting an event related to the data unit.
10. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
defining the at least one rule based on at least one of:
a request related to the PII data element,
a response related to the PII data element,
a source of a request related to the PII data element,
a method or system used for accessing the PII data element,
a time when the PII data element was accessed,
a frequency of accessing the PII data element,
a user accessing the PII data element,
an application accessing the PII data element,
a storage system or location of the PII data element,
a flow that includes accessing the PII data element, and
a pattern related to accessing the PII data element.
11. A system comprising:
a computing device with:
a memory; and
a controller configured to:
obtain a connection profile, the connection profile including at least one rule related to at least one personally identifiable information (PII) data element;
associate the connection profile with a network connection;
receive a data unit transmitted over the network connection from an external system, the data unit including at least a portion of the PII data element; and
based on the rule, perform at least one of: blocking transmission of the data unit, modifying the data unit, forwarding at least a portion of the data unit to a selected destination, storing the data unit, storing metadata related to the data unit, and reporting an event related to the data unit;
store metadata related to a transaction, from a protected system to the external system, of at least a portion of a PII data element included in the protected system;
present to a user a flow of PII between the protected system and the external system;
present to a user PII obtained by the external system;
receive from a user indication of restricted PII;
prevent the restricted PII from being transferred to the external system;
store metadata related to a transaction, from the external system to a second external system, of at least a portion of the PII data element; and
present to a user a flow of PI I data across a plurality of external systems.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein a PII data element includes at least one of: person-specific data, asset-specific data, personal data, contact info, customer demographics, financial info, purchase info, an opinion, a field of interest, a driving license, a social security number and an image.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to associate the connection profile with a set of connections.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically modify a set of connection profiles based on an event.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to graphically present a map of flows of data elements.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to associate a data element with a token and perform an action based on a token identified in the data unit.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to modify a data element in the data unit based on the connection profile.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein a data element in the data unit includes un-structured data.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to:
obtain a user profile, the user profile including at least one rule related to at least one data element;
associate the user profile with a set of network connections;
the data unit including a data element related to the user profile; and
based on the rule related to at least one data element, perform at least one of: blocking transmission of the data unit, modifying the data unit, forwarding at least a portion of the data unit to a selected destination, storing the data unit, storing metadata related to the data unit, and reporting an event related to the data unit.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to:
define the at least one rule based on at least one of:
a request related to the PII data element,
a response related to the PII data element,
a source of a request related to the PII data element,
a method or system used for accessing the PII data element,
a time when the PII data element was accessed,
a frequency of accessing the PII data element,
a user accessing the PII data element,
an application accessing the PII data element,
a storage system or location of the PII data element,
a flow that includes accessing the PII data element, and
a pattern related to accessing the PII data element.