Data Masking

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Data masking is a technique whereby sensitive data is obscured in some way to render it safe and to protect the actual data while having a functional substitute for occasions when the real data is not required.

This policy is used to mask sensitive data in the custom error messages being processed and sent to the application. Fields can be masked or filtered in the error messages. You can configure the masking criteria as required for the XPath, JPath, and Regex expressions. This policy can also be applied at the API scope level.

Note: webMethods API Gateway does not mask the payload, if the payload is sent as a stream.

The table lists the masking criteria properties that you can configure to mask the data in the request messages received:

Parameter Description
Consumer Applications Specifies the applications for which the masking criterion has to be applied.

Start typing the application name, select the application from the type-ahead search results displayed, and click Add to add one or more applications.

You can use the delete icon icon to delete the added applications from the list.
XPath. Specifies the masking criteria for XPath expressions in the error messages.  
Masking Criteria Click Add masking criteria and provide the following information and click Add.
  • Query expression. Specify the query expression that has to be masked or filtered. For example: /soapenv:Fault/faultstring
  • Mask Value. Appears if the Masking Type selected is Mask. Provide a mask value. You can add multiple masking criteria.
    As Query expression and Mask Value properties support variable framework, you can use the available variables.
    In case of query expression, if you provide variable syntax, the XPath is applied on the payload using the value that is resolved from the variable given.

    For example, if you provide a query expression as ${request.headers.myxpath} and the corresponding mask value as ${request.headers.var1} , and if the incoming request header myxpath is configured with value //ns:cardNumber, then the card number derived from the payload is masked with the header value in var1.

    For details about the variables available in webMethods API Gateway, see Variable Framework .

  • Namespace. Specifies the following Namespace information:
    • Namespace Prefix. The namespace prefix of the payload expression to be validated.
    • Namespace URI. The namespace URI of the payload expression to be validated
    Note: You can add multiple namespace prefix and URI by clicking the Add button.
JSONPath. This is applicable only for REST API. Specifies the masking criteria for JSONPath expressions in the error messages.  
Masking Criteria Click Add masking criteria and provide the following information and click Add
  • Query expression. Specify the query expression that has to be masked or filtered. For example: $.error.reason
  • Masking Type. Specifies the type of masking required. You select either Mask or Filter. Selecting Mask replaces the value with the given value (the default value being ********). Selecting Filter removes the field completely.
  • Mask Value. Appears if the Masking Type selected is Mask. Provide a mask value. You can add multiple masking criteria.

    As Query expression and Mask Value properties support variable framework, you can use the available variables.

    In case of query expression, if you provide variable syntax, the JSONPath is applied on the payload using the value that is resolved from the variable given.

    For example, if you provide a query expression as ${request.headers.myjsonpath} and the corresponding mask value as ${request.headers.var1} , and if the incoming request header myjsonpath is configured with value $.cardNumber, then the card number derived from the payload is masked with the header value in var1.

    For details about the variables available in webMethods API Gateway, see Variable Framework .
Regex. Specifies the masking criteria for regular expressions in the error messages.  
Masking Criteria Click Add masking criteria and provide the following information and click Add
  • Query expression. Specify the query expression that has to be masked or filtered. For example: (.*)
  • Masking Type. Specifies the type of masking required. You select either Mask or Filter. Selecting Mask replaces the value with the given value (the default value being ********). Selecting Filter removes the field completely.
  • Mask Value. Appears if the Masking Type selected is Mask. Provide a mask value. You can add multiple masking criteria.

    As Query expression and Mask Value properties support variable framework, you can use the available variables.

    In case of query expression, if you provide variable syntax, the regex is applied on the payload using the value that is resolved from the variable given.

    For example, if you provide a query expression as ${request.headers.myregex} and the corresponding mask value as ${request.headers.var1}, then the regex is applied using the value configured in the incoming request header myregex and the derived value is masked with the header value in var1.

For details about the variables available in webMethods API Gateway, see Variable Framework

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Apply for transaction Logging Select this option to apply masking criteria for transactional logs.

When you select this option the transactional log for the response is masked on top of response sent to the client.
Apply for payload Select this option to apply masking criteria for payload.

When you select this option the payload in the response sent to the client is masked.

Note: When you select this option it automatically masks the data in the transactional log.