Data anonymization
Pseudonymize personal data with a separate key
The GDPR defines pseudonymization as processing personal data so it can no longer be attributed to a person without additional information that is kept separately. Here the pseudonyms are keyed with a secret, and the secret and the originals go into a key file that you store apart from the data.
Drop a CSV or Excel file
Or click to choose. Up to 200 MB; the file is processed on this computer and never uploaded.
How the pseudonyms are made
Each value is combined with a random 256-bit secret through HMAC-SHA256, and part of the result becomes the pseudonym. Without the secret, a pseudonym cannot be recomputed from a guessed value, which is the weakness of a plain hash on SSNs or phone numbers. The same secret gives the same pseudonyms in every file, so data sets processed months apart can still be joined.
The key file
The key file holds the secret and the original value behind each pseudonym. Load it again to process the next export with the same pseudonyms, or use Restore to put the originals back into a file that comes back to you, for example with a vendor's results added.
Pseudonymous is not anonymous
Pseudonymized data remains personal data under the GDPR for whoever can link it back. It lowers the risk and is named in the GDPR as a safeguard, for example for research and for data protection by design. If the recipient must not be able to identify anyone, remove or generalize the columns instead.
Pricing
- ✓CSV and Excel files
- ✓Names, emails, phones, SSNs, cards, IBANs, addresses
- ✓Consistent pseudonyms across files
- ✓Key file to restore originals
- ✓Free-text scanning
- ✓Files never leave your browser
Prices in USD are approximate. Checkout charges the exact amount in USD at Stripe’s exchange rate (a 2–4% conversion fee is included), or in euros if you prefer. No VAT or sales tax is added. Monthly, cancel any month. A row is one data row below the header; the same file is counted once, and restoring is free.
Questions
- Is the key file sent anywhere?
- No. It is created in your browser and downloaded to your computer. We never see it, so we cannot restore data for you if it is lost.
- Can I use the same key for several files?
- Yes. Load the key file before processing the next file, and the same values get the same pseudonyms. New values are added to the key file you download next.