Datamask: Data Anonymization Tool Development

Stepping into the development process after the data anonymizer was built, the Milies team inherited the responsibility for the entire development lifecycle. The primary objective was to incorporate additional features while simultaneously optimizing the data anonymization tool for improved stability and performance through strategic refactoring.

As the usage scaled, issues emerged, prompting a business-driven decision to address existing problems and integrate features essential for onboarding new businesses.

The challenge was in developing new features while concurrently enhancing the data anonymization software’s stability and performance. The Milies team successfully introduced innovative features and executed a comprehensive refactoring, including rewriting part of the core logic from scratch.

With the help of Milies’ experienced front-end and back-end developers, DataMask developed and enhanced such functionalities as:

• Automatically find sensitive data and effectively make unreadable to comply with the rules of the GDPR;
• Data minimization when the data sharing and processing should be limited;
• Pseudonymization for concealing data, which can be made visible again with a link or key;
• Anonymization as an irreversible process through which the data can no longer be traced back;
• AI techniques usage (such as Natural Language Processing) for configuring users' preference;
• Pattern recognition and NLP to look for names, addresses, dates of birth, specific set words, signatures or regular expressions (such as e-mail, IBAN, BSN);
• Rules and templates for anonymizing frequently used documents in a uniform manner;
• Automatically assessing data that should be anonymized in accordance with applicable legislation;
• Revert functionality of making the data readable again any time;
• Conversion to a searchable PDF/A file, which can be saved to the preferred location or published directly through the preferred channel;
• Anonymization-as-a-Service (AaaS) development for dozens of government organizations.

The team Milies is still partnering with DataMask, developing and improving the data anonymization tool, as well as making sure the document anonymization is done quickly, easily, and securely. We understand the importance of keeping personal data anonymized and know that data leaks are the most unwanted outcomes, resulting in sanctions and reputational damage. Together with DataMask, we built a product that prioritizes the concept of privacy and compliance with GDPR principles.

With the support of smart functionalities developed by Milies and the cloud-first principle, simplifying the anonymization process of personal data is done in an efficient manner.

In summary, Milies navigated the challenge of expanding features while prioritizing stability and performance optimization. The result was a product that not only met the demand for additional functionalities but also operated efficiently and reliably, demonstrating Milies' commitment to delivering high-quality solutions.