Data Discovery & Risk Insights 26.3.0 Help Center

# Data masking

Through data masking, you can hide potentially sensitive content from reviewers. As data in dataset is processed, OpenText Core Data Discovery & Risk Insights identifies items that contain grammar values for which data masking is configured. You can choose to mask all characters of the identified content or only a portion of the identified content. Masked characters display as an asterisk (*).

NOTE: Images, container files (such as ZIP and archive files), and the files within containers cannot be masked.

On the Manage Grammars page, a check mark icon displays in the Masked column for grammar types and grammar rules for which masking is configured. A dark icon () indicates that masking is configured at that level. A dimmed icon () indicates that masking is inherited from the level above.

The user's view of items containing masked data varies based on whether the user has permission to view masked content and on the type of masking configured. Users must have the Analyze > View masked content permission to view the original content without masking in Analyze and the Manage > View masked content permission to view the original content without masking in Manage.

To configure data masking

1. On the Manage Grammars page, expand the grammar classes, grammar types, and grammar rules as needed.

2. Click the row for the desired grammar type or grammar rule to which you want to apply masking and then click the open detail pane icon ().

   Examples

   - To set masking for all grammar rules included in the grammar type Addresses, expand the grammar class Contact, click the row for the grammar type Addresses, and then open the detail pane.

   - To set masking for a specific grammar rule included in the grammar type Addresses, expand the grammar class Contact, expand the grammar type Addresses, click the row for the grammar rule Addresses (AMER), and then open the detail pane.

3. In the detail pane, click the MASKING tab.

4. Complete the data masking options. Not all masking options are available for all grammar types or grammar rules.

   Option | Description
   --- | ---
   No masking | Select to not apply masking to content identified. (default)
   Mask all characters | Select to mask all characters of the identified content. Example masked US social security number: ***********
   Replace the entity value with the supplied string | Select to mask all characters with the defined character. When selected, the default is ****.
   Mask all alphanumeric characters | Select to mask only alphanumeric characters of the identified content. Example masked US social security number: ***-**-****
   Keep first N characters | Select to show only the first defined number of characters. Example masked healthcare ID number, showing the first four characters: 123-*******
   Keep first N alphanumeric characters | Select to show only the first defined number of alphanumeric characters. Example masked healthcare ID number, showing the first four characters: 123*4******
   Keep last N characters | Select to show only the last defined number of characters. Example masked US social security number, showing the last five characters: ******-6789
   Keep last N alphanumeric characters | Select to show only the last defined number of characters. Example masked US social security number, showing the last five alphanumeric characters: *****5*6789
   Mask all characters before @ | Select to show only the portion of an email address after the @ symbol. Limits: Displays only when Contact Data > Email Addresses is selected. Example masked email address: *********@company.com
   String to replace entity values | Defines the characters to replace the entity value in masked content. Limits: Displays only when Replace the entity value with the supplied string is selected. Default: **** Example masked email address with default value: ****
   Number of characters to display | Defines the number of characters to keep when you select to show (keep) some of the characters of the content to be masked. Limits: Does not display when No masking or Mask all characters is selected.

   - The list of options that display will vary based on the grammar rule selected. For example, Identification Data > Genders displays only the No masking and Mask all characters options.

   - If masking is not allowed at the selected level or is configured at the level above the selected level, the masking options are dimmed.

   - To reset your selections to the previously saved state, click RESET.

5. When completed, click APPLY.

Copyright 2019-2026 Open Text
Version 26.3.0 | Last updated July 2026
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