PII Vault - PII Storage & Tokenization in Databunker Pro

In today’s data-driven world, protecting personally identifiable information (PII) isn’t just a compliance requirement—it’s a business imperative. Databunker Pro’s PII Vault provides enterprise-grade secure storage and tokenization for sensitive personal data, enabling organizations to build privacy-by-design solutions while maintaining operational efficiency.

What is the PII Vault?

The PII Vault is Databunker Pro’s core feature that transforms how organizations handle sensitive personal data. Instead of storing PII directly in your application database, the PII Vault:

  • Encrypts and tokenizes entire user records using AES-256 encryption
  • Generates secure UUID tokens that can be safely stored anywhere
  • Maintains searchable indexes using secure hash-based lookups
  • Provides audit trails for every data access and modification
  • Enables compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2, and other privacy regulations

Why Use PII Vault Instead of Regular Database Tables?

Traditional Database Approach Problems

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-- Traditional approach: PII stored in plain text or basic encryption
CREATE TABLE users (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    email VARCHAR(255),           -- Exposed in logs, backups, queries
    first_name VARCHAR(100),      -- Visible to all database users
    last_name VARCHAR(100),       -- Accessible via SQL injection
    phone VARCHAR(20),            -- Stored in application logs
    ssn VARCHAR(11),              -- High-risk data exposure
    created_at TIMESTAMP
);

Issues with this approach:

  • ❌ Data exposure in logs, backups, and error messages
  • ❌ SQL injection vulnerabilities expose sensitive data
  • ❌ Database admin access reveals all personal information
  • ❌ Compliance complexity requires extensive additional controls
  • ❌ Breach impact exposes all stored PII immediately

Databunker Pro PII Vault Solution

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-- Modern approach: Only tokens stored in application database
CREATE TABLE users (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    user_token UUID              -- Safe to store anywhere
);

Benefits of this approach:

  • ✅ Zero PII exposure in application databases, logs, or backups
  • ✅ Breach protection - attackers only see meaningless tokens
  • ✅ Built-in compliance with privacy regulations
  • ✅ Simplified architecture - no complex encryption management
  • ✅ Audit-ready with comprehensive access logging

How PII Vault Works

1. Data Ingestion and Tokenization

When sensitive data enters your system, Databunker Pro:

  1. Accepts complete user profiles in JSON format
  2. Extracts searchable fields (email, phone, login, custom) for indexing
  3. Encrypts the entire record using AES-256 encryption
  4. Generates a secure UUID token for the record
  5. Stores encrypted data in the secure vault
  6. Creates hashed search indexes for efficient lookups

2. Secure Storage Architecture

Databunker Architecture

Code Examples: Storing and Retrieving User Records

Storing User PII

REST API Example:

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curl -X POST https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserCreate \
  -H "X-Bunker-Token: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "profile": {
      "email": "john.doe@example.com",
      "first": "John",
      "last": "Doe",
      "phone": "+1-555-123-4567",
      "ssn": "123-45-6789",
      "address": "123 Main St, City, State 12345",
      "dob": "1985-06-15"
    }
  }'

Response:

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{
  "status": "ok",
  "token": "a21fa1d3-5e47-11ef-a729-32e05c6f6c16"
}

JavaScript/Node.js Example:

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const axios = require('axios');

async function storeUserPII(userData) {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post('https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserCreate', {
      profile: {
        email: userData.email,
        first: userData.firstName,
        last: userData.lastName,
        phone: userData.phone,
        ssn: userData.ssn,
        address: userData.address,
        dob: userData.dateOfBirth
      }
    }, {
      headers: {
        'X-Bunker-Token': process.env.DATABUNKER_API_KEY,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      }
    });
    
    return response.data.token; // Store this token in your database
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error storing user PII:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Usage
const userToken = await storeUserPII({
  email: 'jane.smith@example.com',
  firstName: 'Jane',
  lastName: 'Smith',
  phone: '+1-555-987-6543',
  ssn: '987-65-4321',
  address: '456 Oak Ave, City, State 54321',
  dateOfBirth: '1990-03-22'
});

Python Example:

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import requests
import json

def store_user_pii(user_data):
    url = "https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserCreate"
    headers = {
        "X-Bunker-Token": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    
    payload = {
        "profile": {
            "email": user_data["email"],
            "first": user_data["first_name"],
            "last": user_data["last_name"],
            "phone": user_data["phone"],
            "ssn": user_data["ssn"],
            "address": user_data["address"],
            "dob": user_data["date_of_birth"]
        }
    }
    
    response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
    response.raise_for_status()
    
    return response.json()["token"]

# Usage
user_token = store_user_pii({
    "email": "mike.johnson@example.com",
    "first_name": "Mike",
    "last_name": "Johnson",
    "phone": "+1-555-456-7890",
    "ssn": "456-78-9012",
    "address": "789 Pine St, City, State 67890",
    "date_of_birth": "1988-11-08"
})

Retrieving User PII

Retrieve by Token:

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curl -X POST https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserGet \
  -H "X-Bunker-Token: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "mode": "token",
    "identity": "a21fa1d3-5e47-11ef-a729-32e05c6f6c16"
  }'

Retrieve by Email:

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curl -X POST https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserGet \
  -H "X-Bunker-Token: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "mode": "email",
    "identity": "john.doe@example.com"
  }'

Retrieve by Phone:

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curl -X POST https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserGet \
  -H "X-Bunker-Token: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "mode": "phone",
    "identity": "+1-555-123-4567"
  }'

JavaScript/Node.js Retrieval:

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async function retrieveUserPII(mode, identity) {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post('https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserGet', {
      mode: mode,
      identity: identity
    }, {
      headers: {
        'X-Bunker-Token': process.env.DATABUNKER_API_KEY,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      }
    });
    
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error retrieving user PII:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Usage examples
const userByToken = await retrieveUserPII('token', 'a21fa1d3-5e47-11ef-a729-32e05c6f6c16');
const userByEmail = await retrieveUserPII('email', 'john.doe@example.com');
const userByPhone = await retrieveUserPII('phone', '+1-555-123-4567');

Python Retrieval:

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import requests

def retrieve_user_pii(mode, identity):
    url = "https://your-databunker-pro/v2/UserGet"
    headers = {
        "X-Bunker-Token": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    
    payload = {
        "mode": mode,
        "identity": identity
    }
    
    response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
    response.raise_for_status()
    
    return response.json()

# Usage examples
user_by_token = retrieve_user_pii('token', 'a21fa1d3-5e47-11ef-a729-32e05c6f6c16')
user_by_email = retrieve_user_pii('email', 'john.doe@example.com')
user_by_phone = retrieve_user_pii('phone', '+1-555-123-4567')

Enterprise Security Features

Multi-Layer Encryption

  • AES-256 encryption for all stored PII records
  • Two-layer key management with master and wrapping keys
  • Key rotation without re-encrypting stored data
  • Shamir’s Secret Sharing for secure key backup

Advanced Access Control

  • Role-based access control (RBAC) for fine-grained permissions
  • Multi-tenant isolation using PostgreSQL Row-Level Security
  • API token authentication with configurable expiration
  • Audit logging for all data access and modifications

Compliance-Ready Features

  • GDPR compliance with built-in data minimization and pseudonymization
  • HIPAA compliance for protected health information (PHI)
  • SOC2 compliance with comprehensive audit trails
  • PCI DSS compliance through credit card tokenization
  • Right to be forgotten with secure data deletion

Integration with Existing Systems

Database Integration

Instead of storing PII in your application database, store only the secure tokens:

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-- Before: PII in application database
CREATE TABLE customers (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    email VARCHAR(255),
    first_name VARCHAR(100),
    last_name VARCHAR(100),
    phone VARCHAR(20),
    ssn VARCHAR(11)
);

-- After: Only tokens in application database
CREATE TABLE customers (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    user_token UUID UNIQUE,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

Application Integration

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// Example: User registration flow
async function registerUser(userData) {
  // 1. Store PII in Databunker Pro
  const userToken = await storeUserPII(userData);
  
  // 2. Store only token in application database
  const customer = await db.customers.create({
    user_token: userToken,
    created_at: new Date()
  });
  
  // 3. Return customer ID (no PII exposed)
  return { customer_id: customer.id };
}

// Example: User lookup flow
async function getUserProfile(customerId) {
  // 1. Get token from application database
  const customer = await db.customers.findById(customerId);
  
  // 2. Retrieve PII from Databunker Pro
  const userProfile = await retrieveUserPII('token', customer.user_token);
  
  return userProfile;
}

Compliance Benefits

GDPR Compliance

  • Data Minimization: Only necessary PII is stored and processed
  • Pseudonymization: User tokens provide GDPR-compliant pseudonymization
  • Right to Access: Easy generation of personal data reports
  • Right to Erasure: Secure deletion of PII records
  • Data Portability: Export user data in standard formats
  • Privacy by Design: Built-in privacy controls and audit trails

HIPAA Compliance

  • Administrative Safeguards: Role-based access controls and audit logging
  • Physical Safeguards: Secure data storage with encryption at rest
  • Technical Safeguards: Access controls, audit controls, and data integrity

SOC2 Compliance

  • Security: Multi-layer encryption and access controls
  • Availability: High availability with multi-instance deployment
  • Processing Integrity: Comprehensive audit trails and data validation
  • Confidentiality: Secure data handling and access restrictions
  • Privacy: Built-in privacy controls and data minimization

Performance and Scalability

High-Performance Architecture

  • Stateless design for horizontal scaling
  • Redis caching for session information
  • PostgreSQL backend with row-level security
  • Bulk operations for efficient data processing
  • Optimized indexing for fast lookups

Enterprise Deployment Options

  • Kubernetes deployment with Helm charts
  • Docker Compose for development and testing
  • Cloud deployment on AWS, GCP, or Azure
  • On-premises deployment for air-gapped environments
  • Multi-region deployment for global compliance

Conclusion

Databunker Pro’s PII Vault provides a comprehensive solution for secure PII storage and tokenization that goes far beyond traditional database security. By implementing the PII Vault, organizations can:

  • Eliminate PII exposure in application databases, logs, and backups
  • Simplify compliance with built-in privacy controls and audit trails
  • Reduce breach risk through tokenization and encryption
  • Improve operational efficiency with developer-friendly APIs
  • Scale securely with enterprise-grade architecture

The PII Vault transforms how organizations handle sensitive data, enabling them to build privacy-by-design solutions that meet both regulatory requirements and business needs. With comprehensive security features, compliance capabilities, and easy integration, Databunker Pro’s PII Vault is the ideal solution for modern data protection challenges.

 

 

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