Tietoturvatokenisointi

Tietoturvatokenisointi, often referred to as tokenization in English, is a security process that replaces sensitive data with a non-sensitive equivalent called a token. This token has no exploitable meaning or value on its own, making it a crucial component in protecting confidential information, particularly financial data like credit card numbers.

The process typically involves a secure system, often called a token vault, that stores the original sensitive data and its corresponding token. When a transaction or request requires the sensitive data, the token is sent to the system processing the information. This system then securely communicates with the token vault, which substitutes the token with the original sensitive data for authorized purposes only. This drastically reduces the risk of data breaches, as the token itself cannot be used to access the original information if intercepted.

Tokenization is widely used in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and e-commerce, to comply with regulations like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). It offers a robust solution for data protection by minimizing the exposure of actual sensitive data to less secure environments. The effectiveness of tokenization lies in its ability to de-link the token from the original data, rendering it useless to attackers without access to the secure token vault.