System and method for cascading token generation and data de-identification

摘要

A computer-implemented method for de-identifying data by creating tokens through a cascading algorithm includes the steps of processing at least one record comprising a plurality of data elements to identify a subset of data elements comprising data identifying at least one individual; generating, with at least one processor, a first hash by hashing at least one first data element with at least one second data element of the subset of data elements; generating, with at least one processor, a second hash by hashing the first hash with at least one third data element of the subset of data elements; creating at least one token based at least partially on the second hash or a subsequent hash derived from the second hash, wherein the token identifies the at least one individual; and associating at least a portion of a remainder of the data elements with the at least one token.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for de-identifying records received from a plurality of clients, each of the plurality of clients associated with a client tag unique to the client and a plurality of records including identifying data for a plurality of individuals, comprising:
receiving a record for an individual from at least one data storage device associated with a client, the record comprising a plurality of data elements identifying the individual; generating, with at least one processor, a token based at least partially on the plurality of data elements and a client tag uniquely identifying the client among the plurality of clients; creating, with at least one processor, a de-identified record comprising a portion of the record and the token; matching, with at least one processor, the token or a new token based on the token to at least one other token in a database, the at least one other token generated based on the client tag and associated with at least one other de-identified record for the individual; and linking, with at least one processor, the de-identified record to the at least one other de-identified record in at least one data storage device.