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Admin Sandbox Data Masking

Introduction

See the sections below for configuration steps in the Exigo Portal.

Table of contents

In this topic:

Sandbox Data Masking

Exigo Admin - Sandbox Data Masking

Level 2 v1.0

WHAT IS DATA MASKING?

Sandbox Data Masking is the process of masking data elements to the human eye in Sandbox Environments. The

masking is primarily applied to PII (Personally Identifiable Information) fields as determined by Exigo but is also user

configurable for Extended Database Tables.

The masking process used by Exigo is the native Dynamic Data Masking feature of SQL Server. Therefore, the

limitations of the feature, are subject to the constraints of SQL Server.

ENABLING DATA MASKING

Data masking for a specific sandbox environment can be enabled /disabled at any time. Data Masking is enabled by

default when you start a sandbox environment from Exigo Admin.

The option to enable / disable data masking for a sandbox can be found by navigating to Company Portal > Sandbox

Select View to the right of the appropriate sandbox.

After clicking VIEW, click on Update if you are changing the configuration of a Sandbox that is already running. Click

on START if you are starting a sandbox for the first time.

You will select you service tier for the sandbox and click next. Details on service levels are covered in a separate

training.

CONFIGURING EXTENDED TABLE DATA MASKS

Exigo Admin - Sandbox Data Masking

Level 2 v1.0

You will now see the following screen. The screenshot below indicates your data will be masked. Click the slider

next to “Disable Data Masking” to disable data masking. This will display PII information as production currently

does.

Extended database tables can also be configured to be masked in sandbox environments. The masks defined at time

a sandbox is started will be applied to the sandbox environment during the start operation.

To configure Extended Table Data Masking navigate to Company Portal > Sandbox > MANAGE DATA MASK

When editing an extended database table, you can select any of the available masks to apply to the field.

AVAILABLE DATA MASKS

Exigo Admin - Sandbox Data Masking

Level 2 v1.0

This new window shows a list of fields that are currently masked for any Extended Data Tables.

To add a new data mask, click ADD DATA MASK.

Using the dropdown list in each section, you can configure the data fields to mask. Click Save Changes once

you have configured the column appropriately.

An up-to-date list of all the available data masks, along with descriptions, can be found on the Help/FAQ tab when

editing an extended database table.

CUSTOMER EXAMPLE

Included is an example of what a masked customer record looks like in a sandbox environment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Exigo Admin - Sandbox Data Masking

Level 2 v1.0

Q – IS THE DATA MASKED AT REST?

A – No. The data is masked on read by any of the Exigo applications or services. However, the database is protected

by Transparent Data Encryption at rest.

Q – WILL MY REPORTING DATABASE BE MASKED?

A – Yes. Since a Sandbox Start operation performs a true-up of the reporting database, upon completion of the true-

up, all data reflected in the reporting database will be committed as the masked variant. That being the case, data

cannot be unmasked in the reporting database in any way. To unmask, you would need to refresh the sandbox and

check the “Disable Data Masking” feature during startup.

Q – CAN I APPLY A MASK TO A RUNNING SANDBOX?

A – No. Data Masking is configured on the sandbox environment during the Sandbox Start operation. This means

that it cannot be applied after the sandbox is running.

Q - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SAVE MASKED DATA?

A - Since the data is not masked at rest, when data that is displayed as masked, upon save, the data is then committed

back to the database with the masked values. The masking will still apply, even if the field is updated in the sandbox

environment.

Q – DOES ENABLING DATA MASKING SLOW DOWN THE SANDBOX?

A – Since the Data Masking is applied using a native SQL Server feature, the overhead added is negligible overall.

Q – I REMOVED A DATA MASK, BUT THE DATA IS STILL MASKED?

A – Just like with applying the data masking to the sandbox environment, the only way to remove data masking from

the sandbox is to stop the sandbox and subsequently start it without Data Masking enabled.

Q – ARE CORE FIELD REQUESTS ACCEPTED?

A – Yes, Exigo is accepting requests via our ticket system to mask additional core fields as suggested by our customers

that are not part of the initial feature launch.