add_encrypt: De-identification via hash encryption

In deident: Persistent Data Anonymization Pipeline

De-identification via hash encryption

Description

add_encrypt() adds an encryption step to a transformation pipeline. When ran as a transformation, each specified variable undergoes replacement via an encryption hashing function depending on the hash_key and seed set.

Usage

add_encrypt(object, ..., hash_key = "", seed = NA)

Arguments

object	Either a data.frame, tibble, or existing DeidentList pipeline.
...	variables to be transformed.
hash_key	a random alphanumeric key to control encryption
seed	a random alphanumeric to concat to the value being encrypted

Value

A 'DeidentList' representing the untrained transformation pipeline. The object contains fields:

• deident_methods a list of each step in the pipeline (consisting of variables and method)

and methods:

• mutate apply the pipeline to a new data set

• to_yaml serialize the pipeline to a '.yml' file

Examples

# Basic usage; without setting a `hash_key` or `seed` encryption is poor.
pipe.encrypt <- add_encrypt(ShiftsWorked, Employee)
pipe.encrypt$mutate(ShiftsWorked)

# Once set the encryption is more secure assuming `hash_key` and `seed` are 
# not exposed.
pipe.encrypt.secure <- add_encrypt(ShiftsWorked, Employee, hash_key="hash1", seed="Seed2")
pipe.encrypt.secure$mutate(ShiftsWorked)

deident documentation built on April 3, 2025, 6:14 p.m.