What process entails taking sensitive data and removing the indirect identifiers from each data object so that the identification of a single entity would not be possible?
What process entails taking sensitive data and removing the indirect identifiers from each data object so that the identification of a single entity would not be possible?
Anonymization is the process of removing indirect identifiers from a data set so that the identification of a single entity is not possible. This method specifically deals with making data not personally identifiable, which aligns precisely with the question's requirement. Tokenization, on the other hand, involves substituting sensitive data with a non-sensitive equivalent that can be mapped back to the original value, but it does not necessarily remove indirect identifiers. Encryption protects data by transforming it into an unreadable format unless decrypted, and masking generally refers to obscuring specific data elements. Hence, anonymization is the most appropriate answer.
C. Anonymization
Anonymization is the process of removing indirect identifiers from sensitive data to ensure that an individual entity cannot be re-identified. This is often used in privacy regulations like GDPR and HIPAA to protect personally identifiable information (PII). D. Masking → Partially hides or replaces sensitive data (e.g., displaying only the last four digits of a credit card number), but does not remove all identifiable details.