International Business Machines Corporation
Template-based identification and removal of stored personal information

Abstract:

A set of potential personal information (PI) is constructed. A first data component of a first potential PI in the set of potential PI conforms to each element of a delimited alphanumeric string defining a PI search pattern. A first metadata component of the first potential PI comprises system information of a system maintaining the first potential PI. Responsive to determining that a component of the first potential PI meets a specification of a component of a signature, the first potential PI is identified as a first actual PI, wherein the signature comprises a data component specifying an alphanumeric string and a metadata component specifying a delimited alphanumeric string defining a metadata search pattern. Using a removal request constructed responsive to identifying the first actual PI, removal of the first data component from data maintained by the system maintaining the first potential PI is caused.