Quantitative Analysis of the Depersonalization Procedure. Method of Identifiers

Abstract

Depersonalization is the way of personal data processing for the purpose of transforming data to protected status, in order to prevent disturber use it to damage the person. The result of depersonalization depends on content of the personal data and the depersonalization method also. Standard acts define some methods of depersonalization, but all of them are describing by qualitative criteria. This article makes the quantitative analysis of one of the depersonalization methods – the method of identifiers (ID Method). Proposed variant of technical realization of ID Method solves the problem of the identification attribute set, which is necessary and sufficient for the cross-reference table, define the linking identifier requirements, and also describes the methods of communication between the cross-reference table and depersonalized (impersonal) data. On practical example the performance evaluation of ID Method is made by using some criteria, including the technical criteria (identification impossibility on the one side and reconstruction possibility by means of complementary data on the other side), and commercial criteria (economic return). On the base of identification probability and depersonalization degree some recommendations of efficiency enhancement are proposed.