IBM Introduces MAGEN Technology

In an effort to help companies to hide sensitive or personal information that might accidentally appear on the computer screens of unauthorized personnel, IBM Haifa has unveiled a technology called MAGEN (Masking Gateway for Enterprises). According to IBM (News - Alert), this new technology will be useful in domains such as healthcare, insurance, government or financial services.

 

With privacy laws becoming stringent when it comes to data created and processed online, companies are searching for newer ways to protect the data and the privacy of their customers. Also, this new technology can help companies to release the data to only the authorized personnel as they can now fully or partially block the data that appears on the screen.

 

To determine which onscreen fields need to be blanked out or replaced with random values, MAGEN treats information on the screen as a picture, and makes use of optical character-recognition technology. Instead of changing the software program or the data itself, MAGEN filters the information before it ever reaches the PC screen.

 

“MAGEN's screen masking approach eliminates the need to painstakingly tailor 'data masking' solutions to specific environments,” says Haim Nelken, manager of Integration Technologies at the IBM's Haifa, Israel Research Lab, where MAGEN was developed. "The bottom line is faster performance, simpler database security, and reduced costs for protecting sensitive data.”

 

With MAGEN technology, there is no need for the companies to create modified copies of electronic records where information is masked, scrambled, or eliminated. MAGEN's rules can also be easily modified as confidentiality regulations change, or for different types of users. Irrespective of the operating system, application, or protocols used, the solution can be deployed in any environment where screen images are delivered.

 

Recently, IBM/Lotus released a 3D virtual environment conferencing service which insists of avatars and whiteboards. Named Sametime 3D, this service also features conference tables, a gigantic appointment calendar, and a flip chart. Avatars can use text or voice chat, or both, to communicate. They can then share presentations or other materials, and take notes using virtual flip charts.