Reversible Encryption: Anonymize Now, Restore Later

Unlike permanent anonymization methods, encrypted data can be fully restored to its original form. You hold the key — literally.

Why Reversible Encryption?

Sometimes you need to protect data temporarily, not destroy it forever

Temporary Protection

Share documents with external parties during a project, then restore original data when the project ends.

Audit Compliance

Anonymize production data for testing but maintain ability to trace back to originals for audit purposes.

Legal Discovery

Protect sensitive information during legal proceedings while preserving the ability to restore if required by court order.

Safe AI Workflows

Send anonymized prompts to AI assistants, then restore context when reviewing outputs internally.

How It Works

1. Encrypt

During anonymization, select the Encrypt method. Each detected PII value is encrypted using AES-256-GCM with your personal encryption key.

2. Share Safely

The anonymized text contains encrypted tokens like <encrypted:xyz123>. Share this text freely — without the key, the original data is unrecoverable.

3. Restore Anytime

Open the Deanonymizer tab, paste the encrypted text, enter your key, and click Decrypt. Original values are instantly restored.

당신의 키, 당신의 통제

당신이 암호화 키를 만들고 보호합니다. 우리는 절대 저장하지 않습니다.

당신이 키를 생성

16, 24 또는 32자의 강력한 비밀번호를 선택하세요. 이것이 당신의 AES 암호화 키가 됩니다. 우리는 당신을 위해 키를 생성하지 않습니다.

키는 저장되지 않음

당신의 키는 암호화를 위해 HTTPS를 통해 안전하게 전송된 후 즉시 삭제됩니다. 우리는 절대 당신의 키를 서버에 저장하지 않습니다.

복호화에 동일한 키 필요

복호화에는 암호화 시 사용한 정확한 키가 필요합니다. 한 글자라도 틀리면 복호화가 실패합니다.

분실 시 복구 불가

키를 분실하면 데이터를 복구할 수 없습니다. 비밀번호 관리자에 안전하게 저장하세요. 이것은 의도된 것입니다.

Encrypt vs Other Methods

Only Encrypt allows you to recover original data

MethodReversibleReadableLinkableBest For
encryptTemporary workflows, audits, legal
replaceTesting, demos, training data
redactLegal documents, public records
hashResearch, analytics, pseudonymization
maskSupport, UI display

Note: Replace, Redact, Hash, and Mask are permanent transformations. Once applied, the original data cannot be recovered.

Real-World Use Cases

AI Assistant Workflows

Anonymize sensitive customer data before sending to ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI assistants. Use the Chrome Extension or MCP Server to encrypt on-the-fly, then restore context when reviewing AI outputs internally.

"Customer John Smith (john@company.com) reported..." → "Customer <encrypted:xyz> (<encrypted:abc>) reported..." → Original restored after AI processing

Vendor Data Sharing

Share project documents with external consultants or vendors without exposing real names, emails, or other PII. When the engagement ends, restore originals for internal records.

Share anonymized contracts during due diligence, restore originals for final signing

Production-to-Test Data

Copy production databases to test environments with encrypted PII. Developers work with realistic data structures while actual values remain protected. Restore for debugging specific issues.

Test with encrypted user data, decrypt specific records when investigating bugs

Legal Hold & Discovery

During litigation, anonymize documents shared with opposing counsel. If court orders restoration, you retain the ability to decrypt without having destroyed evidence.

Protect witness identities during discovery, restore if subpoenaed

Technical Specifications

Military-grade encryption for enterprise trust

AES-256-GCM

Advanced Encryption Standard with 256-bit keys and Galois/Counter Mode for authenticated encryption. Used by banks, governments, and military worldwide.

Key Requirements

16, 24, or 32 character keys (128, 192, or 256 bits). Longer keys provide stronger security.

Token Format

Encrypted values are stored as <encrypted:base64data> tokens, allowing easy identification and decryption.

Zero Key Storage

Your encryption key is never stored on our servers. If you lose your key, encrypted data cannot be recovered — by design.

Security Guarantees

  • 당신의 암호화 키는 HTTPS를 통해 안전하게 전송되며 우리 서버에 저장되지 않습니다
  • Encrypted tokens are computationally infeasible to decrypt without the correct key
  • We never store your encryption key — if you lose it, we cannot help you recover data
  • All processing happens on ISO 27001-certified servers in Nuremberg, Germany
  • AES-256-GCM provides both confidentiality and integrity verification

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I lose my encryption key?

Encrypted data becomes permanently unrecoverable. We do not store your key and have no way to decrypt your data. Always store your encryption key in a secure password manager.

Can I use different keys for different documents?

Yes. Each anonymization operation uses the key you provide. You can use different keys for different projects, but you must track which key was used for which document.

What are the key requirements?

Keys must be exactly 16, 24, or 32 characters (128, 192, or 256 bits). Longer keys provide stronger encryption. We recommend 32-character keys for maximum security.

Can I decrypt only some values?

Currently, decryption processes all encrypted tokens in the text. You cannot selectively decrypt individual values while leaving others encrypted.

Can I decrypt via API?

Yes. Use POST /api/presidio/deanonymize with the encrypted text and your key. The API returns the fully restored original text.

Try Reversible Encryption Free

Experience the power of temporary anonymization with full data recovery. 200 free tokens per cycle.