Top 10 Data Masking Tools for Secure Data Anonymization

In the digital world, there are several stages when third parties might access your customer or business data. Such information cannot easily be removed from reports or user presentations. In a similar vein, you cannot just distribute the data itself.

Data masking is a vital security solution that substitutes the shown data with fictional data while keeping the true data secure in this situation.

Data masking is the practice of altering sensitive data such that it can still be utilized for its intended purpose but cannot be used to identify specific people.

Sensitive data including names, addresses, and social security numbers are replaced with plausible but false information. In this manner, even if the data is hacked, the critical information is protected.

In this post, we will closely look at the top 10 data masking tools available in the market.

What is Data Masking?

Data masking is the technique of hiding private information by substituting it with fictional information, such as credit card numbers, passwords, or other forms of personal identification.

This strategy permits the use of representative data for development, testing, or training while guaranteeing that sensitive data is kept private even when shared with other parties.

Sensitive data can be masked using a variety of techniques, including tokenization, replacement, encryption, and shuffling. While shuffling reorders the values of the data, substitution replaces the real data with fictitious values.

On the other hand, encryption obscures data by converting it into ciphertext that needs a decryption key to be decoded in order to expose the original data. Tokenization entails keeping the original format of sensitive data while substituting randomly generated tokens.

The goal of data masking is to produce a practical solution that does not contain sensitive information but rather provides a duplicate of the structure. When real data is not necessary, this is especially helpful for user training, product demos, and software testing.

Why data masking is so essential?

Data masking is used by the smartest and most proactive organizations for a number of reasons:

• Eliminating the possibility of data loss or hacking while uploading data to the cloud.
• Addressing important security issues, such as data exfiltration, insider threats, compromised accounts, and unsecured interactions with external systems.
• Preventing rivals from discovering your company’s commercial plans, including profit margins, user quantities, and other factors.
• Enabling you to prevent the unauthorized or improper use of client data by staff members, independent contractors, or suppliers.
• Allowing the free commercial use of disguised data with interns, developers, designers, content producers, and the general public.
• Data sanitization uses data masking to replace the original values on a storage medium, whereas standard file deletion still leaves traces of data behind.

Data Masking Tools

1. Delphix

Delphix is state-of-the-art software that can quickly identify and conceal sensitive data from several sources, including relational databases and files.

Customer names, email addresses, and credit card numbers won’t be a concern for you because Delphix can detect over 30 different sorts of sensitive information automatically.

A broad variety of data kinds, including both structured and unstructured data, can be masked using this application. Delphix employs a variety of methods to conceal data, including hashing, replacement, and shuffling.

With more than 50 unique profiling expressions, Delphix includes a sizable library of pre-built profile sets. Running the masking algorithms won’t require you to be an expert programmer, and Delphix can produce accurate values while maintaining referential integrity within and across your data sources.

The software is also simply configurable if you need to develop new algorithms. Your masked data will continue to operate flawlessly, enabling you to use it for development, testing, and analytical needs.

Data tokenization and irreversible masking solutions are provided by Delphix to secure data privacy and the security of your business must adhere to standards and laws like GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA. Risks can be eliminated by defining and implementing uniform masking procedures across non-production settings.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

2. IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy

The IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy solution enables users to replace sensitive data with contextually relevant and realistic (but fictional) data in a variety of ways.

The technology makes it straightforward for enterprises to find sensitive data and cover it up as necessary across databases, warehouses, the cloud, and big data situations.

The management and masking of sensitive information (PII and other private data) is made easier in non-production contexts including development, testing, and quality assurance thanks to IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy.

InfoSphere provides the data security and confidentiality that the BFSI industry demands, especially in the multi-vendor development/support ecosystem. It is the perfect tool for protecting data privacy and the environment.

To set up data extraction from production databases and masking methods, no coding is required. The conversion occurs faster in a secure channel. IBM promises an improvement in data compliance, risk management, and operational performance.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

3. K2View

K2View can be the best option for you if you’re looking for a strong data masking tool that can effectively safeguard your sensitive data.

It is intended to make data masking simpler by cutting down on deployment costs and time while also removing enterprise-level complications with its data product strategy.

K2View offers strong security for PII data and maintains the relational coherence of masked data by anonymizing sensitive individual entity data in transit.

In addition, it’s made to assist you in adhering to a number of data protection regulations, such as the GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, LGPD, and PCI DSS.

K2View has a data cataloging and auto-discovery capability that makes it simple to map and classify sensitive data. Furthermore, you can conduct database file and metadata searches at a granular level.

You have the freedom to conceal your data in a way that is most effective for your business thanks to the hundreds of out-of-the-box masking methods available, including replacement, randomizing, shuffling, switching, nulling-out, and redaction.

Additionally, K2View supports seamless integration with a wide range of technologies or data sources, whether they are hosted locally or in the cloud. To conceal data with referential integrity, you can connect this solution to relational databases, legacy systems, NoSQL, XML documents, message queues, and flat files.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

4. Oracle Data masking and subsetting

Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting is an effective tool that enables companies to lower the risk of data breaches while maintaining data quality for non-production settings. The solution includes a number of built-in data masking techniques, including redaction, replacement, and scrambling, to hide sensitive data in a way that keeps it usable but obscures its identity.

For development, testing, and analytical purposes, Oracle Data Masking and Subsetting also provide subsetting capability to produce more manageable copies of production data.

While masking and subsetting data, it can preserve referential integrity, intricate relationships, and dependencies. Databases, files, and applications on-premises or in the cloud can all be used with the solution. The database’s private information and its offspring are automatically recognized by this program.

It maintains a central library of masking formats, which provides ready-to-use masking forms and gives users many alternatives to disguise any given data. For concealing data from various use cases under various settings, Oracle offers complete transformation techniques.

It is appropriate for businesses that have to adhere to laws governing data privacy, such as GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, and others. Names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, credit card numbers, and health information can all be concealed with the solution.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

5. Informatica Persistent Data Masking

Informatica Persistent Data Masking is a comprehensive data masking solution that allows businesses to securely protect sensitive data while sharing it with internal and external stakeholders.

The sophisticated algorithms employed in this solution enable the protection of sensitive information utilizing a range of masking techniques, such as format-preserving and value-preserving masking. The technology, which can mask data in real-time or in batches, protects sensitive data both during transit and in batch mode.

Databases, files, and mainframes are just a few of the places where it might conceal data. The use of this program enables the concealment of data on several platforms, including Oracle, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, and others.

The solution is a great alternative for enterprises shifting their data to the cloud because it also has data masking capabilities in cloud environments. The solution’s robust reporting and auditing features let customers keep track of and check all masking activity.

Various regulations, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS, can be proven to have been complied with using the reports that the solution generates. It hides every piece of identifiable information from a massive amount of data gathered from many sources and databases, such as users, locations, birthdates, and roles.

Databases, apps, and mainframes can all be linked widely by the solution. Furthermore, it lessens the possibility of data loss or data misuse.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

6. IRI FieldShield

IRI FieldShield is a powerful data masking system that provides cutting-edge protection for sensitive data. The comprehensive set of features and masking procedures of the program enables users to swiftly mask data from a range of sources, including relational databases, flat files, and mainframe systems. It also gives users the option of cloud-based or on-premises data masking.

FieldShield automatically locates and categorizes sensitive material in databases, files, and other sources using a novel data categorization technique. Once data is classified, it can be concealed using a number of techniques, including encryption, substitution, and redaction.

Additionally, a wide variety of data types, including alphanumeric, numeric, and Unicode, are supported.  It also makes sure that masked data retains referential consistency with other related data, maintaining the usefulness of the data.

It also offers a range of options for data subsetting, allowing for the production of smaller data sets for testing and development.

Integration with other IRI products like IRI CoSort and IRI Voracity is also supported by FieldShield. These tools offer extra features on a single platform, including data integration, data quality, and data masking.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

6. Salesforce Data mask

Salesforce Data Mask is a powerful data masking technology that helps businesses to secure their sensitive information and adhere to different data protection laws. A broad variety of masking options are available on this platform, including dynamic data masking, static data masking, and selective data masking.

Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud sensitive data are recognized and covered up by Salesforce Data Mask using machine learning algorithms.

The technology also offers a thorough dashboard that enables customers to see audit records and their masking progress. Various data protection laws including GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA, also contains pre-built compliance templates.

Salesforce Data Mask works in conjunction with other Salesforce products like Shield and Identity to offer a complete data protection solution. Additionally, Salesforce Data Mask offers a high degree of configuration flexibility and can be set up to satisfy the particular requirements for data protection of various organizations.

Widely used data types like custom and standard objects, fields, attachments, and documents are all supported for masking. It also offers many masking methods including replacement, redaction, tokenization, and encryption to guarantee that data is successfully hidden while maintaining its integrity.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

7. Immuta

Immuta can be the best option for privacy restrictions and dynamic data masking. It modifies the data during query time to conceal sensitive values without altering the original data.

You can specify an attribute-based access control policy in its security and privacy management suite. You have the option of using code or plain language when writing policy language.

Additionally, you can choose from more than 60 pre-built security and privacy controls to protect sensitive data. These constraints can also be dynamically applied at query time for a variety of data masking techniques, including anonymization, pseudonymization, minimization, and obfuscation.

You can rapidly access the authorized data from any notebook, BI tool, or workbench thanks to these dynamic policies. You can automate access limits on Immuta using a variety of criteria, including user demographics, time-based windows, neighboring cell data, and reference table data. 

Above all, it decreases the engineering burden and enables instant access to encrypted data.  Additionally, this software lowers the possibility of data breaches, safeguards the reputation of your company, enables secure data sharing, and boosts team productivity.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

8. Chainsys DataZense

DataZense is a comprehensive data masking solution created to safeguard private information in non-production, development, and testing settings. Companies can easily disguise PII and PHI data, including credit card information, names, addresses, and medical records, with this technology.

It can quickly save time and reduce human mistakes by automatically detecting and masking data. The masking methods offered by this tool include tokenization, encryption, shuffling, replacement, and masking. It can maintain referential integrity and data linkages thanks to its out-of-the-box algorithms.

Additionally, it enables you to create personalized masking rules and policies, guaranteeing that sensitive data is anonymized in accordance with your particular needs.

It also provides several configuration choices and audit trails for compliance and oversight. You can access this cloud-based platform whenever and wherever you choose.

Additionally, it supports the GDPR, CCPA, OIOO, and other privacy regulations. Big data platforms, relational databases, flat files, cloud services, and other data sources and technologies can all be integrated with dataZense.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

9. NextLabs

Nextlabs Data Masking, a powerful data security solution, enables businesses to safeguard sensitive data while also adhering to regulatory requirements. The sensitive data components that this program enables users to identify and conceal include credit card information, social security numbers, and email addresses, to name just a few.

It provides masking of unstructured data in addition to structured data.

With Nextlabs Data Masking, you can make masking policies that can be used with a variety of data sources, including files, databases, and software programs.

To safeguard sensitive data, the tool utilizes a range of masking strategies, including encryption, redaction, substitution, and shuffling. With the help of Nextlabs Data Masking, you can manage and keep an eye on your data masking policies thanks to a centralized view of all your data sources.

The system enables the auditing and reporting of data consumption and access.

Data loss prevention (DLP) and identity and access management (IAM) products, as well as other security solutions, are both seamlessly integrated with Nextlabs Data Masking. By integrating these systems, organizations are able to develop a thorough data security plan that protects every part of their data environment.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

10 HusHus

Looking for a covert solution to assist you with data masking so that you can adhere to regulatory and public privacy standards? Hush-Hush is the ideal option. You do have a Hush-Hush solution, though, to assist you in disguising PII data.

Using this software, you can quickly find sensitive information in your company’s database and organize it into categories for anonymization. Hush-Hush complies fully with GDPR, HIPAA/HITECH, CCPA, and GLBA regulations when it comes to data masking.

It makes use of rule-based components for thorough configuration and safe data anonymization, offering ready-to-use solutions to hide direct and indirect identities using predetermined and universal methods.

Hush-Hush is flexible and can be linked with native SQL server SSIS, Biztalk, and code utilizing API whether you’re operating on-premises or in the cloud. The system creates audit trail reports to verify regulatory compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and HITECH, and you can plan data anonymization activities or carry them out on an as-needed basis.

Pricing

Please contact the vendor for its pricing. 

Conclusion

To sum up, data masking is a crucial method for contemporary firms to safeguard sensitive data from unauthorized access. By using data masking techniques, businesses can secure their important data without compromising their regular operations.

Businesses can choose the best solution depending on their unique needs, including the amount of data protection required, the types of data sources utilized, and regulatory compliance requirements, thanks to the market’s wide range of alternatives.