Telecommunications Data Redaction

The Telecom Data Protection Challenge

Telecommunications providers operate at a unique intersection of technology and privacy. Every call, text, and data session generates records containing personally identifiable information. Regulatory requirements including CPNI rules, GDPR, and sector-specific regulations demand careful handling of this data, while business needs require analytics, network optimization, and customer service capabilities that depend on this same information.

Types of Telecom Data Requiring Protection

Telecom-Specific Identifier Detection

RedactionAPI detects and redacts the full range of telecommunications identifiers:

Call Detail Record Processing

CDRs are the lifeblood of telecom operations but contain extensive PII. Our API processes CDRs at scale:

// Sample CDR record
{
    "record_id": "CDR-2024-001234567",
    "calling_number": "+14155551234",
    "called_number": "+12125556789",
    "call_start": "2024-01-15T14:30:22Z",
    "duration_seconds": 342,
    "calling_imsi": "310150123456789",
    "calling_imei": "353456789012345",
    "cell_id_start": "310-260-12345-67890",
    "cell_id_end": "310-260-12345-67891",
    "subscriber_name": "John Smith",
    "account_number": "ACC-123456"
}

// API Request
POST /v1/redact
{
    "document": [CDR record or batch],
    "document_type": "json",
    "profile": "telecom_cdr",
    "preserve_fields": ["record_id", "call_start", "duration_seconds"],
    "pii_types": ["phone", "imsi", "imei", "cell_tower", "name", "account"]
}

// Redacted Output
{
    "record_id": "CDR-2024-001234567",
    "calling_number": "[PHONE_A]",
    "called_number": "[PHONE_B]",
    "call_start": "2024-01-15T14:30:22Z",
    "duration_seconds": 342,
    "calling_imsi": "[IMSI]",
    "calling_imei": "[IMEI]",
    "cell_id_start": "[CELL_TOWER]",
    "cell_id_end": "[CELL_TOWER]",
    "subscriber_name": "[NAME]",
    "account_number": "[ACCOUNT]"
}

Deterministic Tokenization for CDR Analytics

For analytics that require tracking behavior patterns without exposing identities, use deterministic tokenization:

Network Infrastructure Protection

Network logs from routers, switches, and other infrastructure contain subscriber identifiers:

# Sample syslog entry
Jan 15 14:30:22 router01 DHCP: DHCPACK to 192.168.1.100 via eth0 (00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E)
Jan 15 14:30:23 router01 NAT: Session started 192.168.1.100:54321 -> 203.0.113.50:443

# Redacted output (preserving diagnostic info)
Jan 15 14:30:22 router01 DHCP: DHCPACK to [IP_A] via eth0 ([MAC_A])
Jan 15 14:30:23 router01 NAT: Session started [IP_A]:[PORT] -> 203.0.113.50:443

Log Format Support

Location Data Anonymization

Telecom location data is particularly sensitive. We offer multiple anonymization approaches:

Anonymization Techniques

CPNI Compliance

Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) regulations require telecommunications carriers to protect customer data. RedactionAPI supports CPNI compliance:

{
    "profile": "cpni_compliance",
    "redact_categories": [
        "call_detail",       // Numbers, times, duration
        "service_quantity",  // Usage data
        "technical_config",  // Service details
        "location"          // Cell/GPS data
    ],
    "preserve_for_billing": true,
    "audit_logging": true,
    "consent_check": {
        "require_opt_in": true,
        "consent_field": "cpni_consent_status"
    }
}

Customer Interaction Data

Call center transcripts, chat logs, and support tickets contain unstructured PII that requires intelligent detection:

// Original transcript
Agent: Thank you for calling TeleCorp support. Can I have your phone number?
Customer: Yes, it's 415-555-1234.
Agent: I see your account, John Smith at 123 Main Street. How can I help?
Customer: My bill shows charges I don't recognize. My credit card ending in 4567 was charged twice.
Agent: I see the issue. Let me process a refund to your Visa ending in 4567.

// Redacted transcript
Agent: Thank you for calling TeleCorp support. Can I have your phone number?
Customer: Yes, it's [PHONE].
Agent: I see your account, [NAME] at [ADDRESS]. How can I help?
Customer: My bill shows charges I don't recognize. My credit card ending in [CARD_LAST4] was charged twice.
Agent: I see the issue. Let me process a refund to your [CARD_TYPE] ending in [CARD_LAST4].

Integration Architecture

RedactionAPI integrates with telecom data pipelines through multiple patterns:

┌──────────────┐     ┌────────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌───────────────┐
│   Network    │────▶│    CDR Feed    │────▶│ RedactionAPI │────▶│   Analytics   │
│  Equipment   │     │   (Kafka/MQ)   │     │  Processing  │     │   Platform    │
└──────────────┘     └────────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └───────────────┘
                                                    │
                                                    ▼
                                            ┌──────────────┐
                                            │  Audit Logs  │
                                            └──────────────┘
                    

Use Cases