Consistent data masking

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system masks data objects across a plurality of different data resources. The system comprises a processor configured to include a plurality of service providers to mask the data objects, wherein each service provider corresponds to a different type of data masking for the data objects. An interface provides access to the plurality of service providers from different data-consumers to mask the data objects according to the corresponding types of data masking, wherein resulting masked data maintains relational integrity across the different data resources. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for masking data objects across a plurality of different data resources in substantially the same manners described above.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method of masking data objects across a plurality of different data resources comprising:
 accessing a plurality of service providers to mask the data objects, wherein each service provider corresponds to a different type of data masking for the data objects, via an interface that provides access to the plurality of service providers from different data-consumers to mask the data objects according to the corresponding types of data masking, wherein resulting masked data maintains relational integrity across the different data resources.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of claim  14 , wherein the data-consumers include at least one of user generated applications and user defined functions. 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of claim  14 , wherein the interface includes a grammar to enable data-consumers implemented by at least one of computing and scripting languages to access the plurality of service providers to mask the data objects. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of claim  14 , wherein at least one service provider includes a user generated service provider performing a corresponding type of data masking, and the interface includes:
 a provider interface to enable the data-consumers to access at least one user generated service provider.   
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of claim  14 , wherein the interface includes an Application Programming Interface (API). 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of claim  14 , wherein each data resource includes one of a data source, a data application, and an operating platform. 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of claim  14 , wherein the data-consumers are associated with different contexts of data and applications and the data masking of the service providers is applied to the different contexts.