Data Masking for the SAP HANA Service – by the SAP HANA Academy

Introduction

Data masking provides an additional layer of object-level access control, for example to complement SELECT privileges. Regular object-level access control privileges return either a result set or an error: insufficient privileges. With data masking, a result set is always returned. However, unless the user has the UNMASKED object-level privilege, the data will be hidden as defined by the mask.

Different implementations are possible. Below a simple example.

For an introduction of the data masking feature, see the blogs from Aleks Aleksic:

• Protect your sensitive data using SAP HANA’s new dynamic data masking (SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 01 – Apr, 2017)
• Extended dynamic data masking in SAP HANA: Mask data at the table level (SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 03, Apr, 2018)

Tutorial Video

In the video tutorial below, we demonstrate how to implement data masking.

Data Masking for the SAP Cloud Platform, SAP HANA Service works the same as for a regular on-premise SAP HANA versions, like the platform and express edition.

Data masking was introduced with SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 01 (April, 2017) and is not available for the SAP HANA Service in the Neo environment, currently on version SAP HANA 1.0 SPS 12.

Code Sample

For the full code sample, see the repository on the SAP HANA Academy GitHub site. Below the most essential parts. This is a sample implementation. Other approaches are possible.

Here we create a function which will perform the actual masking when called.

CONNECT mask_owner PASSWORD ******
CREATE FUNCTION credit_mask(INPUT VARCHAR(19))
RETURNS OUTPUT VARCHAR(19) LANGUAGE SQLSCRIPT AS
temp VARCHAR(19);
BEGIN
SELECT LEFT(INPUT,4) || '-XXXX-XXXX-' || RIGHT(INPUT,4) 
  INTO temp
  FROM SYS.DUMMY;
OUTPUT := temp;
END;

GRANT EXECUTE ON credit_mask TO data_owner;

Next, as the object owner of the table with sensitive data, we create a view which calls the mask.

CONNECT data_owner PASSWORD ******
CREATE VIEW credit_view AS 
  SELECT * FROM credit_tab
  WITH MASK 
    (CREDIT_CARD USING mask_owner.credit_mask(credit_card));

GRANT SELECT ON credit_view TO end_user;

Finally, as end_user we query the view and get a result set with masked data for the credit card column.

Granting the UNMASKED object privilege to the user returns an unmasked view on the data.

CONNECT data_owner PASSWORD ****
GRANT UNMASKED ON credit_view TO end_user;

YouTube Playlist(s)

The tutorials has been posted to the following playlists:

• SAP Cloud Platform, SAP HANA service
• SAP Cloud Platform – Administrators Overview

References

For the GitHub code repository, see

• saphanaacademy/datamasking

For the documentation, see

• Data Masking – SAP HANA Security Guide for SAP HANA Service
• CREATE VIEW Statement (Data Definition) – SAP HANA SQL and System Views Reference for SAP HANA Service
• 2159014 – FAQ: SAP HANA Security
• SAP HANA Security

Thank you for watching

The SAP HANA Academy provides free online video tutorials for the developers, consultants, partners and customers of SAP HANA.

Topics range from practical how-to instructions on administration, data loading and modeling, and integration with other SAP solutions, to more conceptual projects to help build out new solutions using mobile applications or predictive analysis.

For the full library, see SAP HANA Academy Library – by the SAP HANA Academy.

For the full list of blogs, see Blog Posts – by the SAP HANA Academy.

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