IBM preps biz info flow sniffer
Plus auto-redaction software
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Next month, IBM will demonstrate new business software designed to track how information flows across different systems and squeal when it spots potential flaws or alterations.
Based on its own research along with technology from the $225m acquisition of Guardium in 2009, IBM's InfoSphere Business Information Monitor will be released as preview program this coming March.
Big Blue's latest foray into information governance is designed to track how data moves from databases and content repositories into business applications and reports, sending out real-time email or RSS alerts if it detects any anomalies.
IBM said an example would be a health insurance company analyzing profit margins across different product lines (like HMO, Medicare, etc). Those calling the shots would be alerted if a data feed from a specific location wasn't being included into the mix and notified of possible implications.
The software works for most relational databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, and IBM's DB2 — and it can snoop for quality issues in databases accessible through Open Database Connectivity (ODBC).
The company also plans another business software product next month, called Optim Data Redaction, which detects sensitive information in documents and automatically blacks it out in copies for unprivileged eyes.
IBM's example for the software is that a customer's credit score in a loan document could be hidden from an office clerk, while still visible to a loan officer.
The sensitive information is spotted by Optim Data Redaction inside most popular document formats based on keywords entered into the system (or keynumbers, as the case may be) — hopefully not leaving your poor office clerk playing Mad Libs all day long. That's certainly something we'd like to see in action first.
IBM is mum on the price of the auto-redaction software, but the company said it's expected to be released some time in March. ®
COMMENTS
I've just filed my provisional patent application ....
... for "auto-unredaction software" ...
... gives me a year to back engineer and fill in the details ... Muahahahhaha
Sounds...errr...great
"Those calling the shots would be alerted if a data feed from a specific location wasn't being included into the mix and notified of possible implications."
So it can tell that you havn't included a data feed...presumably from a list of feeds it expects (after all how the hell would it know without being told), which makes this software one step up from pen and paper...it's notepad with alerts, but as it also provides statistics and a mechanism to allow know nothing management to second guess experienced database admins I'm sure it will be a mission critical system before long.
Redaction
I'm guessing that 5+ year old Copyrights don't matter much to IBM, but if somebody needs some prior art give me a shout.
http://purl.org/pii/terms/
Although I wonder have to wonder if they actually got the redaction-so-you-can't-re-identify part right on the database bit. http://www.rustprivacy.org/meta/ReadMeFirst.pdf (get the sample spreadsheet). Or just http://www.rustprivacy.org/rustthesql.pdf if you are lazy.
If they can do this right over ODBC, they are God-like and can put me and the rest of the unwashed to work licking their boots. Otherwise, Caveat Emptor (Latin for read the f'ing EULA fine print)
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