Microsoft patents flexible system for tagging and protecting data
Microsoft has filed a patent for a data protection framework that uses a 'pluggable' design to classify information. The system links specific data labels to security actions like encryption or deletion, allowing companies to swap out different classification rules without rewriting their software. It also checks code to ensure sensitive data is handled correctly as it moves between programs.
In the filing’s own words
A taxonomy-agnostic data protection framework includes a plugged-in data classification taxonomy definition having a taxonomy identifier and a set of data classification indicators. The taxonomy-agnostic data protection framework also includes a plugged-in set of data classification processing routines, and a plugged-in mapping mechanism which maps between data classification processing routines and data classification indicators. The framework facilitates efficient, accurate, and thorough implementation of data classification propagation per the plugged-in taxonomy, both within a given program and between programs that connect over a network. The framework also facilitates flexible implementation of per-taxonomy data protection actions such as deletion, redaction, encryption, anonymization, pseudonymization, hashing, or enrichment, in response to individual or combined data classification indicators. Static analysis of annotated source code determines whether data classifications are accurately and comprehensively propagated with a program.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A system comprising: a processor system; and a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that are executable by the processor system to at least: access a data classification taxonomy definition comprising a taxonomy identifier and data classification indicators corresponding to bit positions in a bit vector; map between data classification processing routines and the data classification indicators; and invoke a particular data classification processing routine on particular data based at least on a mapping between the particular data classification processing routine and a particular data classification indicator that is associated with the particular data.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- PLUGGABLE DATA TAXONOMY AND PROCESSING
- Publication number
- US20260300527A1
- Application number
- 19705160
- Filed
- Jun 11, 2026
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 6
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06F 21/6218 Physics & computingG06F 21/563 Physics & computingG06F 40/169 Physics & computingMore from Microsoft in Security & privacy
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.