Hidden Algorithm

The Hidden algorithm redacts a string by replacing each character of the string with a selected character. The length of the masked string can be modified using the hiddenLength property. The default is for the length of the masked string to match the length of the original string.

Algorithm Characteristics

• Algorithm: Hidden
• Masking Technique Redaction
• Supported Types: String
• Referential Integrity: true (but not useful due to extensive mapping conflicts)
• Conflict-free: false
• Realistic Data: false
• Reversible: false

Properties

• hiddenChar { string; optional; default: "*"\ }
  The character used to redact the original string.
  Example: "hiddenChar": "#"

• hiddenLength { int; optional; default: 0 }
  If the hiddenLength is 0, then the length of the masked string will be equal to the length of the original string.' If the hiddenLength is greater than 0, then the length of the masked string will be equal to the hiddenLength of the original string.
  
  If the hiddenLength is less than 0, then the absolute value is used as a deviation from the length of the original string. A deterministic modification value from 0 to the deviation value is calculated. The modification value is used to determine the length of the masked string. The masked string length will be the length of the original string +/- modification value. So, if the string "hello" was being masked by using a hiddenLength: -3, then the masked string length could be anywhere from 2 to 8 (5 +/- 3). The main value of modifying the length of the masked string is that it makes it harder to use the length to determine the value of the data being masked.
  Example: "hiddenLength": -3

Example JSON configuration

{
    "name": "ExampleHiddenMasker",
    "description": "Redacts the original string using the character '#' and a deviation of 3",
    "algorithm": "Hidden",
    "hiddenChar": "#",
    "hiddenLength": -3
}

Default Maskers based on the Hidden Algorithm

1. HiddenMasker