Methods to Mask PII data in Oracle

In Oracle databases, there are several methods available to mask Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data to ensure data privacy and security. Here are some common methods:

1. Data Redaction:

   - Oracle Data Redaction is a built-in feature that automatically masks sensitive data in query results to prevent unauthorized users from viewing it. It applies redaction policies based on predefined rules, such as masking credit card numbers, social security numbers, or other sensitive data elements.

   - Example:

    

     DBMS_REDACT.ADD_POLICY(

       object_schema    => 'hr',

       object_name      => 'employees',

       policy_name      => 'ssn_redaction',

       expression       => '1=1',

       function_type    => DBMS_REDACT.FULL,

       column_name      => 'ssn',

       comments         => 'Redact SSN for non-privileged users'

     );

    

2. Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting:

   - Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting is a feature of Oracle Enterprise Manager that allows organizations to mask sensitive data in non-production environments. It enables organizations to create masked copies of production databases for development, testing, or training purposes while ensuring data privacy.

   - Example:

    

     EXECUTE DBMS_DATAPUMP.START_JOB(

       job_name       => 'MASK_JOB',

       operation      => 'EXPORT',

       job_mode       => 'SCHEMA',

       remote_link    => 'remote_link_name',

       parallelism    => 1,

       job_state      => 'COMPLETING');

     

3. Manual Data Masking Techniques:

   - Organizations can implement manual data masking techniques using SQL queries to alter or anonymize sensitive data. This may involve techniques such as substitution, pseudonymization, or shuffling of data values.

   - Example:

   

     UPDATE employees

     SET ssn = 'XXX-XX-' || SUBSTR(ssn, -4);

    

4. Dynamic Data Masking (DDM):

   - Oracle Dynamic Data Masking (DDM) is a feature that masks sensitive data in real-time, based on user privileges or roles. It enables organizations to control access to sensitive data without physically altering the data.

   - Example:

     

     CREATE VIEW masked_employees AS

     SELECT employee_id, first_name, last_name, email,

            CASE WHEN role = 'HR_ADMIN' THEN ssn

                 ELSE 'XXX-XX-' || SUBSTR(ssn, -4)

            END AS ssn

     FROM employees;

    

5. Encryption:

   - Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) encrypts sensitive data at rest to protect it from unauthorized access. While encryption doesn't directly mask data, it ensures that even if unauthorized users gain access to the data, they cannot read it without the appropriate decryption key.

   - Example:

    

     ALTER TABLE employees MODIFY (ssn ENCRYPT);

   

These methods provide various options for masking PII data in Oracle databases, allowing organizations to comply with data privacy regulations and protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.